Chapter 49

"It's too early for you to take on this request."

The old man at the reception desk pushed back the request form that Rio and Shiraha had tried to take.

According to the rules, they should have been able to take it, but Rio and Shiraha exchanged glances, wondering if there was some issue.

The old man stood up, holding his cane.

"There's no problem with the form. I'll explain it to you since you're outsiders. Follow me."

The old man started walking, tapping his cane.

"Five years ago, there was an incident called the 'Rhehlan's Nightmare.' The creature that caused it, called a Tereop, is extremely troublesome. If you're inexperienced, you'll definitely be killed. That's why you need Galdrat's approval to take on a request to go deep into the forest where Tereops appear."

While following the old man's back towards the training ground, Rio took the opportunity to ask a question that had been on his mind.

"Does that mean Mr. Galdrat has fought this Tereop before?"

"Don't ask about that. I don't know what Galdrat is thinking, but he hasn't sorted it out yet."

The old man avoided further discussion and opened the door to the training ground. Immediately, cheers erupted from inside.

Out of place, the cheers seemed to be celebrating something. Rio peeked into the training ground, looking around the old man's back.

The adventurers were gathered at the back of the training ground, where Galdrat was. Rio thought a new recruit might have arrived, but it seemed to be a different situation.

Galdrat, tied to the wall, held a wooden sword and stood blocking a real sword placed on a shelf behind him. Facing Galdrat was a large man with two wooden swords, someone Rio had seen at the guild's tavern. He was not a new recruit but one of the top adventurers in the guild.

Since Rio and Shiraha also had business with Galdrat, they naturally joined the circle of adventurers. It made sense that the match between Galdrat and the top adventurer was exciting, but the gazes of the surrounding adventurers felt different. Most of all, Galdrat's demeanor was strange. His stance was not the Shiroz style he usually used, and his aura was completely different.

He held the wooden sword at his waist, horizontally, with his feet shoulder-width apart, looking solid and immobile, as if he had no intention of moving. The Shiroz style, which Galdrat used, was based on counterattacks, but his current stance was a defensive one, ignoring attacks to himself and blocking the opponent's path. This stance contradicted the principles of the Shiroz style, but more than that, Galdrat's demeanor was odd. His sharp, hawk-like eyes were filled with intense hatred, and he bared his teeth as if ready to tear something apart.

Seeing Galdrat's atmosphere, which was far from a mere training session or match, Rio asked the old man about the situation.

"What's going on?"

"...It's a serious match."

Sighing, the old man muttered, looking somewhat frustrated.

"The rule is simple: if the challenger can take the sword behind Galdrat, they win. Galdrat started this, saying he would teach the secret techniques to the winner. No one has won in the five years since Galdrat joined this guild."

Though Rio couldn't understand the underlying situation in the old man's expression, he focused on the match between Galdrat and the top adventurer. From Rio's perspective, the top adventurer was a formidable opponent, with skills on par with elite knights. Despite the presence of many such skilled adventurers, Galdrat had managed to protect the sword for five years.

If Galdrat's current stance was for protecting the sword, it must be a secret technique of the Shiroz style. Even Kail probably didn't know the secret techniques.

Rio watched the two closely, determined not to miss anything. The adventurer made the first move, closing the distance to Galdrat in an instant. While using the shorter wooden sword for defense, he aimed a sharp thrust with the longer one to break Galdrat's stance.

Immediately, the adventurer was blown back at more than twice the speed he had closed the distance. Rolling on the ground to break his fall, the adventurer raised his hands in surrender, looking at the broken wooden sword that had been used for defense. The broken blade rolled to Rio's feet.

Though it happened in an instant, Rio's eyes caught the entire sequence of events. In response to the thrust, Galdrat had read the trajectory perfectly, closed the distance, and swung the wooden sword with full force. The blow, which caught the adventurer's center of gravity, sent him flying like a leaf.

"Guess it didn't work out again."

The adventurers comforted the challenger while clapping. In the friendly atmosphere, Galdrat, clenching his teeth, looked down at his hand holding the wooden sword with irritation and turned his back on the challenger.

While mulling over Galdrat's movements in his head, Rio headed towards the wall where the training wooden swords were placed. Galdrat's movements involved accurately reading the attack range derived from the opponent's stance and slipping into the gap. This required the anatomical knowledge and body control skills essential to the Shiroz style, as well as the courage to perform a counterattack. It was a culmination of the Shiroz style, but there was a sense of unease.

Rio picked up a wooden sword.

"...Do you think Mr. Galdrat is protecting an important sword?"

Shiraha, who had appeared beside him, asked expressionlessly.

"No, I don't think so. If you're asking, you probably think it's not the sword that's important, right?"

"If it were important, he wouldn't let anyone take it."

"I agree."

Rio looked at Galdrat, who was staring at the sword on the shelf with regret. Holding the wooden sword, Rio entered the circle of adventurers and called out to Galdrat's back.

"To go deep into the forest, we need Mr. Galdrat's approval, so I'm applying for a serious match."