Chapter 8

Noem is now, I think, in a state of distrust towards humans.

Suddenly given a skill, all the relationships she had built up until then collapsed.

Trust in people can change so easily.

The shock of seeing this happen right before her eyes must have been considerable, especially for a girl in her mid-teens.

Anyone might show their fangs.

They might approach with a gentle smile, and then suddenly bite when you let your guard down.

Like that slave trader... and whoever brought them in.

Everyone approaches Noem not for Noem herself, but for the skill she possesses. If there is anything she can trust, it would be only me, who saved her from the crisis. Though that itself is a bit of an overestimation.

"Rondait-san..."

I looked at her as if clinging to me.

Rondait sighed deeply...

"There's no helping it. Besides, there's no rule that alchemists can't be adventurers..."

"Then..."

"In return, Ryuya, you have to protect this girl properly. You have her trust, so you need to live up to it. If you don't, I'll beat you up, got it?"

"Thank you!"

Thanks to Rondait's warm-heartedness, we were able to get through this.

"Still, you two have no track record as adventurers. For now, you'll start from the lowest rank, F, and take on training or beginner quests. You'll build up your track record and become veterans. Got it?"

"“Yes!!”"

And so, I and Noem were finally able to become adventurers.

After a long detour, we have finally reached this stage. I wonder how far I can go with the power that the Azure Dragon has honed.

I want to rise as fast as I can to answer the dragon's call.

"Wait a moment."

...Just as I was renewing my resolve, a rather ominous voice was thrown in.

"If a girl with such a good skill joins my party, I'll let her. A skill-less one is just a hindrance. Get lost."

This was said by a young male adventurer.

Behind him, a few men of about the same age were grinning and looking at us. They were his companions.

Rondait, who looked back at them, clicked her tongue...

"Get lost, you're not called for. You're still just beginners, aren't you? I can't entrust the guidance of a complete beginner to you!"

"What are you talking about? We're already fully grown, unlike that useless, skill-less one."

It seems they had overheard our conversation.

That makes sense, this is the Adventurer's Guild, and there were many other adventurers gathered here.

And Rondait was explaining the skill loudly...

So it must have reached the ears of the wrong people.

"Ugh, a skill-less one. They come out and dirty up the view everywhere. You're a failed product that wasn't chosen by God. To put it bluntly, you're trash. How do you think you can live a decent life?"

Again, laughter could be heard from the other side.

"Besides, to steal a girl with a rare skill from me is a crime, no matter how you look at it. You need to be punished, right? Death penalty, okay? Huh?"

"You're the one who butted in, aren't you?"

"Having a good skill means a woman has to join my party, it's the law! Don't you know, you idiot!!"

I don't understand.

It's just an idiot making up a strange argument and whining.

"Hey, now that I look closely, that girl not only has a good skill but is also cute. I'll make her mine. She'll be useful and can take care of my sexual needs. What a great find."

"Ah!?"

Noem's face turned pale and she flinched.

She must have been sent a particularly lewd gaze without any restraint.

"Go away."

"What?"

"Who a party is formed with is decided by mutual consent. She wants to team up with me. You have no place here. That's all."

The contemptuous gaze directed at me began to mix with a killing intent.

"Playing the hero, are you? A knight? A skill-less weakling who doesn't know his place. You're dead, poor you."

"Why is that?"

"Because you defied me, who has a B-rank skill! I'll kill you for looking down on me! Your adventurer life will end as soon as it began!"

And the young adventurer drew a knife.

Dual-wielding with both hands.

"Stop it, you fool!"

Rondait hurriedly tried to stop him.

"Private duels are forbidden in the guild! If you do, you'll both be demoted, at the very least!"

"Rondait-san..."

I said quietly.

"Let me handle it."

"..."

Did my sincerity reach her...

"Tch, fine. Then let's do it this way. This young punk is a fool. As the guild master, I have an obligation to correct such a disrespectful kid."

Huh?

Rondait is the guild master.

"To carry out this, Ryuya, I'll let you do it. If you're going to do it, do it thoroughly."

"Thank you."

Thus, with the guild master's permission, my duel with him began inside the guild.

A crowd of onlookers had already gathered around.

"Ryuya-san..."

"It's okay."

I calmed Noem, who was worried, and faced my opponent.

"You're a real fool. You've thrown away your last chance to save your life."

"Don't look down on Ryuya. Even without a skill, his level is 17, far higher than your level 5. You'll realize that skills aren't the only factor in determining victory or defeat."

Rondait spoke up for me.

So that's why she allowed this fight.

"Don't talk nonsense! No matter how much you raise your level, a skill-less one can't surpass a powerful skill! Like my special skill, Phantom Hand!!"

For a moment, I thought it was an optical illusion.

The young male adventurer's arms had suddenly increased from two to four.

The additional two arms, which seemed illusory, also held knives, and four blades were now pointed at me.

"See! This is my skill, Phantom Hand! The illusory extra pair of arms is as real as the original, capable of holding weapons and attacking! Purely double the number of hands, can a skill-less one like you handle it all!?"

Indeed, it's a useful skill.

Adding two more arms to a person who originally has two, making a total of four.

If they all attack at once, it's almost the same as being attacked by two people.

"I'll stab you to death! And that rare skill girl will be mine!!"

The adventurer, with four blades, charged at me.

I first stopped two of his hands with my own. I grabbed his wrists with my right and left hands.

That's two.

But without any additional arms, I had no way to deal with the remaining two.

"Just as I expected! Die!!"

The remaining two hands tried to stab me with their knives.

Just before they did...

"Kyaahhh!!"

The one who screamed in agony was not me, but the other side.

His four fists, two on each side, were shattered into pieces.

"If there are many, just deal with them quickly."

I shattered the four fists that attacked simultaneously... one, two, three, four.

Avoiding the knife blades skillfully.

There was no need to worry about the shattered fists as they could no longer be used as a means of attack.

You run out of hands when you try to defend.

Attack is the best defense.

"Kyaahhh!!? It hurts! It hurts so much!!?"

The young adventurer writhed in pain.

Of course. With his fists completely shattered and his finger bones mashed, it would hurt.

I should have only shattered the illusory arms... I realized this now.

I apologize for my lack of consideration.

"Kyaahhh!!? My hands! My hands!!?"

"You brought this upon yourself. Getting cocky about your skill and picking fights with anyone will lead to this. A skill-less person is still human. If they get serious, they can even kill someone of a higher rank."

Rondait had no sympathy for the young adventurer.

Moreover, at her feet, many young men were lying, bleeding from their faces.

They must have been the lackeys who had mocked the adventurer with the phantom arm skill earlier.

While I was fighting, she had apparently taken care of them.

"Still, Ryuya, you don't look like the type to do such brutal things. If their joints are this broken, they won't be able to continue as adventurers, will they?"

"I'm sorry, I went too far!!"

"You've only made me admire you even more. But it's strange, isn't it? No matter what, a level 17 shouldn't have this much strength, right? You don't have any enhancement skills, do you?"

"Hahaha...!"

I laughed it off.