Chapter 60

After everything was resolved and settled, Noem and I were summoned for an audience.

As it was an audience, the king was in front of us.

The king of the country where we are currently staying, Rubrum. Unlike the king of Centaurian, whom we often meet, he was older, shorter, and, to put it bluntly, gave an impression of being unreliable.

"First, I must apologize to you."

Those were his first words.

"The foolish actions of my nephew. Bringing his political struggles into the opportunity to test your abilities and causing chaos. It must have been a real nuisance, I'm sorry."

"Oh no, no!" "Not at all, not at all!"

The king of Rubrum seemed to have a very proper sense of judgment and treated Noem and me, who were mere commoners from another country, with great respect. Perhaps, as the ruler of a country, one must be competent to some extent, no matter where they are.

"Zemnant is my sister's son. If he were to become the king of Centaurian, the ties with his powerful country would strengthen, and our country would be at an advantage."

Huh?

Our country... was a powerful one?

"Indeed, I had dreamed of that, but if such a foolish nephew were to become a leader, it would bring nothing but misfortune to the innocent people. I never imagined he would conspire with adventurers to attempt an assassination!"

Saying this, the king of Rubrum frowned with a look of deep regret.

How did Zemnant, the nephew of such a wise king of Rubrum and the son of the wise king of Centaurian, become such a frivolous prince?

"Furthermore, to put our country in danger through dubious means is truly unforgivable. Normally, he should be publicly executed for such a grave crime, but as he is a royal from another country, we cannot easily judge him. First, we will send him back to his home country and leave it to the king of Centaurian to deal with him."

"I believe that king will make a fair judgment."

Probably.

"By the way, what about Zemnant now?"

"He is under house arrest in one of the castle's rooms. We can't put a royal from another country in prison, of course. He is badly injured and groaning in bed, so there's no worry of him escaping. Once he has recovered, we will prepare to send him back."

"What about Soeides?"

"..."

The king of Rubrum fell silent.

Yes, Soeides, the active A-rank adventurer who had brought the capital of Rubrum to the brink of destruction, had disappeared when the commotion subsided. Some say he fled in the chaos.

I had told him not to move, and he shouldn't have been able to move, but...

Thanks to him, many things about the attack by the divine spirit Okeanos remain unclear. There were many things that should have been revealed by his mouth, and the consequences of his evil deeds have not been addressed at all.

"We are searching for him with our soldiers, but we have yet to receive any reports of his discovery. He may have already fled the country."

"Regarding this point, I can only apologize deeply."

The one who spoke from the side was the guild councilor Bistemario.

"This incident, all of it, stems from the incompetence of the adventurer guild. To those who were put in danger of destruction in the kingdom of Rubrum, there is no other way to express our apologies than to offer the heads of all the councilors."

"Please calm down, Councilor Bistemario. No one wants your head. On the contrary, everyone will regret the loss of you, who are known as the most sensible among the councilors."

It was a familiar conversation.

Perhaps the great people have had interactions for a long time?

"Moreover, the ones who saved our country from the brink of destruction were also adventurers. Noem and Ryuya, these two. I have nothing but gratitude for you. Please raise your faces."

The topic was directed at us.

As instructed, I raised my head, which I had lowered in accordance with etiquette, and the smiling face of the elderly king appeared in my field of vision.

"Your bravery was witnessed by all the people of the capital. When the great tsunami that could even surpass a mountain approached, everyone thought it was the end. You scattered it with a single blow and repeated it dozens of times. It was a feat that even a god would be envious of!"

I was flattered by the praise.

Did everyone see that battle?

Considering the size of the tsunami, it was visible from anywhere.

"Such great power, you must be blessed with a very powerful skill, right?"

"Ah, no, that's not the case..."

When I told him that I had no skills, the king of Rubrum widened his eyes in surprise...

"Really, that's the power you have...!?"

"It's because I leveled up a lot."

"Is that all it takes...? No, regardless, you are the hero who saved our country. You deserve to be praised. You did a great job!"

I was praised without reservation.

Considering the hardships I had endured due to not having skills, I suspected it might be a trap.

"Regarding the merit of saving our country, I would like to give you rewards and honors to the best of my ability, but before that, it seems that Councilor Bistemario has something to say."

"I humbly accept your will."

From the guild's big shot?

What could it be?

"Adventurer Ryuya. There are many things I need to apologize for and commend you for, but first, I would like to talk about the current situation."

"The current situation...?"

"The A-rank promotion exam."

Ah, right.

We were in the middle of the exam!

So many emergencies had occurred that it had slipped my mind!

"As you know, the A-rank promotion exam has been temporarily suspended due to the trouble. It has not yet been decided whether to resume it on a different day and place or to cancel it entirely."

Cancel...!?

"Can you continue it? Not just us, but many people have worked hard to become A-rank."

"Of course, as a councilor, I have no intention of nullifying your enthusiasm. Supporting you who fight on the front lines is our role."

What kind of personal statement is this?

"And I have been given a good opportunity. Despite the trouble, I have found a light in it. ...This great tsunami incident."

"Huh?"

"Don't you understand? An adventurer is someone who takes risks. In emergencies, their true worth is tested by their actions. Don't you think the situation was perfect for such an evaluation?"

The attack by the divine spirit Okeanos?

Indeed, that situation was a major emergency involving an entire city.

Many people were surprised, panicked, and showed aspects of their true nature that could not be seen in peaceful times.

"Such a situation is when adventurers should shine. I observed the adventurers who were taking the exam, focusing on how they responded to the crisis without any orders, using my skill."

"Your skill, Councilor Bistemario?"

"Indeed, my skill <Far Sight> allows me to see distant objects as if they were close. The only flaw is that it doesn't work through obstacles."

He chuckled, unsure if it was self-deprecating or boastful.

"Using this skill, I have closely observed dozens of people who still have the right to continue the exam. They all made various choices and took action. Some prioritized their own lives and fled, while others stayed and tried to resolve the situation, among other things..."

"Um, could you get to the point of this story...?"

I still don't quite understand the purpose of this story.

"In short, I will evaluate whether each examinee is suitable for A-rank based on their actions during the tsunami incident. In other words, it will be a sudden second exam!"

"What, what are you saying!?"

"Those who fled for their own safety are obviously disqualified. Some tried to act constructively according to the ethics of adventurers but were lost and wandered around, they are also unfortunately disqualified. Those who slept through the entire commotion are also disqualified!"

There were such people, huh? They must have been really tough.

"On the other hand, there were those who immediately took action upon sensing the anomaly, guiding the residents to safety, and those who rushed to the guild to gather information. I consider these actions appropriate in emergencies and allow them to continue the exam. Those who made every effort to guide the residents to safety will receive bonus points. It shows that they have the essential spirit of caring for others, which is necessary for adventurers."

It's essential for adventurers to care about others...

Being kind is a good thing.

"Ah, does that mean the three mohawk seniors who guided the evacuation...!?"

"Do you mean Red, Ito, and Bee? Yes, they have the qualifications to take the third exam."

Those were their names, those three.

"They have been challenging A-rank for a long time. Despite the adversity of being <skill-less>, they have not given up. It's about time they got their chance. ...And finally, Ryuya and Noem, you two."

"Yes!?"

Noem was called too!?

So we were also proper exam subjects!

"From the praise of the king of Rubrum, it is clear that you two resolved the great tsunami. Noem used her skill <Alchemist King> to lead the fundamental resolution of the situation. Her work deserves the highest commendation."

"No, no, that's not true...!"

Noem blushed.

Seeing such gestures reassures me of her girlish side.

"However, Ryuya, you surpass even Noem. You stood at the forefront, facing the spirit head-on and defended against its overwhelming divine power. Without you, Noem's measures would not have been in time, and the city would have sunk into the sea."

"Yes! That's exactly what the councilor said!"

Noem agreed.

"The power to punch away a giant tsunami... Even this alone clearly shows that Ryuya has the power beyond A-rank. Based on your outstanding performance, I, as a councilor, have made a decision!"

Councilor Bistemario declared.

"Ryuya and Noem, you two do not need any further examination! I recognize your sufficient abilities and propose your immediate promotion to A-rank adventurers and your appointment to S-rank adventurers!"