Chapter 82

I became an S-rank adventurer and, as a result, the number of people I met day and night increased significantly.

Most of them were people trying to benefit from my reputation, such as nobles from various regions, major merchants, and people related to the Adventurers' Guild, who approached me with clasped hands, hoping to form a good relationship with me.

Occasionally, there were rare visitors who stopped by to test my strength during my martial training...

Perhaps because of the constant stream of visitors, it was inevitable that among the many people, a suspicious one would slip by unnoticed.

He first came as an introduction from a noble.

It was also my mistake to take it at face value.

Truly despicable people can lie so easily, beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

I, still a naive young man, failed to realize this.

◆

"The church has appointed you as a hero!"

"Huh?"

I was taken aback by the man's words as soon as he sat down.

"Be pleased! It is a great honor!"

"No, wait. Weren't you sent as a messenger from Duke Alexandrea to meet me?"

"That was a lie!"

He casually admitted it was a lie.

Doesn't that mean you deceived me? How can you have such an unashamed expression?

"Recently, the relationship between this country and the church has deteriorated, so I feared that mentioning the church's name might interfere with our meeting. This was a wise decision to achieve a noble goal. Please understand."

"Do you think I would understand?"

At the very least, after being lied to from the start, I can't trust a single word from you.

How can I be sure you haven't lied about anything else?

"In fact, I am not a messenger from Duke Alexandrea but a priest belonging to the church. I have come to convey a direct message from His Holiness, the Pope, who oversees the church!"

"The church...!?"

That was my honest reaction.

The church, a massive organization, has been involved in various situations, so it's natural for its name to come up.

However, whenever the church's name was mentioned, it always came with a sense of discomfort.

The right to grant skills to people, bestowed by God, was being used to the fullest to strengthen the church's hidden influence, and no one thought this was a good thing.

I've had several minor conflicts that escalated into full-blown fights...

Recently, the church's involvement has been suspected in the crises facing the Kingdom of Rubrum and the headquarters of the Adventurers' Guild.

They are certainly not someone I can open my heart to.

"Please leave."

I quickly made up my mind.

"I will not speak with anyone who lies about their affiliation and slips through the review process. If you have business with me, please reveal your true identity and formally request a meeting."

"Please wait! We are the church! Moreover, we carry the will of His Holiness, the Pope!"

"That's why I'm saying you should have revealed it from the start and made the request."

When the church's name is mentioned, everyone becomes respectful and listens.

The messenger's behavior revealed such arrogance.

"Ah, I see. You've received the rank of S-rank adventurer and immediately started thinking you're important. How easily people can be trapped by arrogance. One of the seven sins is indeed so terrifying."

"Are you looking in a mirror?"

"Someone like you would surely seek even greater authority, wouldn't you? How about it? Being a hero and belonging to the church would be an even more attractive proposal, wouldn't it...?"

"No, I'm telling you to 'leave.'"

Don't just keep pushing the conversation forward as if nothing happened.

I should just forcibly remove you without any further discussion, but I end up just arguing because I don't want to resort to violence.

"First of all, why do I have to be a hero? I'm just a man of no value to the church, right?"

"No, no, the church highly values you! Your skills, specifically!"

Huh?

What are you talking about?

I don't have any skills.

"I don't have any skills. Didn't the priests of your church tell you that?"

It was five years ago.

The despair I felt then is something I can't easily forget.

"No, no, that's not true! You are clearly using a remarkable skill!"

"?"

"I have investigated you. You have broken the human level cap and reached a high level!"

...

That's true.

You've done a thorough investigation of something people wouldn't easily believe.

"Most likely, you have a skill like 'Level Cap Removal.'"

"No?"

"Don't be modest! Such a skill has never been discovered before, so I apologize for the delayed response! It's an undiscovered new skill! Preparations are underway to register it in the skill compendium, so please rest assured!"

"My high level isn't due to a skill."

I've just been grinding levels relentlessly because I don't have any skills.

I trained with the Azure Dragon deep in the forest, and apparently, that's what caused me to break the human level cap.

Abinion said, "Because the Azure Dragon recognized you," but in any case, my abnormality has nothing to do with skills.

"Look at this, my guild card."

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Guild Registration Information

【Name】Ryuya

【Lv】8,347,917

【Skills】None

【Criminal Record】None

【Affiliation】Adventurers' Guild: Centorian Capital Branch

【Rank】S

【Suitable Jobs】All

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The card, which glows in rainbow colors.

Incidentally, this is the top-tier S-rank guild card I got after being promoted to S-rank.

Not only does the 'S' in the rank field shine, but the level field also has a special notation suitable for S-rank, with my actual level forcibly written in.

Until now, it could only display two digits to match the human level cap of <99>, so only the last two digits of my level <17> were shown.

They seem to have hand-carved it for me based on my self-report.

However, what I want him to see is not that...

"Look at the skills section. It clearly says 'None,' right? The guild card is a magical item that accurately displays the owner's skills through a soul bond."

Right?

In other words, if the guild card says <No Skills>, then it is certain that there are no skills.

There is no room for falsehood.

"No, you have some hidden skill. Otherwise, your strength can't be explained."

But he was stubborn.

There are plenty of reasons for strength other than skills.

However, I realized they had their own reasons for not accepting this.

"Your strength, which has defeated demons, stands at the top of adventurers, and is recognized by the king, must not come from anything other than a skill. Therefore, you possess a hidden skill. Please come with us to the church. We will thoroughly investigate and reveal what your skill is."

"I decline."

Even without that, it's already a fact that I am strong.

Why should I be treated like a lab animal just to extract information that suits your agenda?

"This is the will of God. People must live correctly as God desires. Your correct path is to join the church as a hero and use your power correctly as a hero. Only then can you truly contribute to the world and serve humanity."

"I have been using my power to help people all along."

"Then you should join the church. That way, your wishes will be fulfilled more perfectly."

"I don't think so."

I firmly rejected it.

"Let me be clear. I believe that you and your church are not beneficial to all of humanity."

"How insolent and evil..."

"The existence of skills is fine. The fact that these powers are helping people is also true. However, you and your church, who have been given the task of granting skills, seem to be abusing your position."

You are probably here now because you fear that my existence threatens your interests.

For you, skills are what guarantee your value.

It is inconvenient for something that threatens the value of skills, something that diminishes the value of skills, to appear.

By trying to win me over, a truly inconvenient existence, and by proclaiming that my power comes from a skill, you are trying to show that I am one of you.

And by doing so, you aim to maintain your current power and influence without diminishing the value of skills and yourselves.

"I disagree with everything you propose."

It is important to show a thorough rejection.

Especially to people like you, who can only interpret things in a way that suits your agenda.

"You only think about your own gains and have no intention of contributing to the world. If you want my cooperation, start by changing that. Until then, I will not be your ally, and I might even become your enemy."

"I understand. I understand your anger...!"

The messenger's attitude was like trying to calm a spoiled child.

"Indeed, there has been an unfortunate misunderstanding between you and our church. We, too, understand common sense and sincerity, and we do not intend to gain your loyalty without resolving it. I have brought a gift."

Saying this, the church's messenger presented a box.

"A gift to appease your anger..."