Chapter 64

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

Whether it was a wicked scheme or a justifiable revenge, while having a pleasant conversation with Sylph, it was time for dinner. I still had some sandwiches left in my stomach, but should I go to dinner? It's good to be able to eat until I'm full. I would leave Bell and the others to watch the house and head to the cafeteria.

"Dinner, huh?"

Today, not only Kalk but also Martha is in the cafeteria.

"Yes. What's on the menu today?"

"Hehe. The dish you taught me. They say it goes well with ale, so it's selling like crazy."

I just taught her how to cook it over charcoal. Hearing Martha's laughter, the adventurers who turned to look at me fell silent all at once. Come to think of it, this is an adventurer's inn, so it's full of adventurers, isn't it? Hmm? I feel awkward.

"What's the matter? Why did it suddenly get so quiet? It's a strange atmosphere. What happened?"

"Ah, Martha. Probably because I'm staying here, they're surprised. I had a bit of a spat with the guild master, and rumors are spreading, so I think everyone is avoiding me. If it's a bother, I'll leave the inn, so please let me know anytime."

"You said you were a new adventurer, didn't you? How could a new adventurer get into a spat with the guild master?"

She's really surprised. Indeed, it's like a new employee at a major company in Japan getting into a spat with the president on their first day. Yeah, it's surprising.

"Well, it seems they don't like the fact that I'm a spirit mage."

"Ah, I see. I've heard about the reputation of spirit mages. Is it okay for you to be here? You might get bullied, you know?"

Martha asked with concern. I don't need to worry. I've already been bullied.

"Hehe. It's fine. I've been told not to get involved with me, so I don't think anyone will bother me."

"What did you do to get into a spat? A little disagreement wouldn't lead to this, you know?"

Oh no. I've piqued Martha's curiosity. She's really excited. She won't let me go until I explain.

"Well, I was harassed, so I said something nasty, and the guild master got angry and we started arguing. In the end, he told me to show the power of a spirit mage, so I mixed in a bit of foul language and replied, and that's how it ended."

"You, that's definitely provoking a fight. So, that's why the atmosphere is like this?"

Martha shook her head in disbelief. I can understand her feelings.

"Yes. Also, I've been called a fraud and accused of not reading the room, among other things, so that's affecting it too."

"A fraud? What did you do? I don't intend to house criminals."

Martha's face is scary. If this continues, I might be kicked out.

"I haven't done anything wrong. I got into a duel with an adventurer who approached me because I'm a spirit mage, and I physically intimidated and defeated the adventurer who approached me, and the adventurers who lost the bet and lost all their money are spreading the bad name."

"That's not all, is it? You squeezed all the money out of Kalk and the others, and you even tried to prevent them from betting on you."

Oh, an adventurer who was told not to get involved came over. Maybe it's the power of alcohol?

"You did that, didn't you?"

"Originally, Kalk and the others forced a duel on me, and the loser had to retire as an adventurer. But when they lost, they didn't want to retire, so I gave them the choice of retiring as an adventurer or giving up all their money. They even made me sign a contract, but they refused to retire when they lost, which is a terrible story."

"Did you have a duel and a contract? What about the betting?"

"The betting didn't go through because no one would bet on me. I complained about it, so I bet on myself. They tried to get me to bet, but I didn't like it, so I prevented them from betting on me. Then Kalk and the others who lost the bet started calling me a fraud, which is really annoying."

"Hmm. You're not as weak as you look. It might be a bit much, but it's fine. You can stay here."

Weak? I was called weak to my face. Well, I should be grateful since she's letting me stay.

"Thank you. But if it causes any trouble for the inn, please let me know. I have ways to deal with it."

"Sure? Well, it's business for us. If it gets dangerous, I'll kick you out. Until then, take it easy."

"Thank you."

Hmm. I don't think someone like Martha would kick me out even if it costs her. I need to be careful not to cause any major trouble. I'll ask Sylph for help later.

"It's fine. Let's eat first. As promised, I'll treat you to ale."

"Thank you for the meal."

Sitting at the cafeteria table, the adventurers who were looking at me all turned away. The adventurer who spoke to me wouldn't even look at me. It seems the adventurers have decided to completely ignore me, and the noisy atmosphere has returned.

"Here you go. Eat up and do your best."

Martha brought me the meal and ale. Today's menu seems to be grilled orc belly meat. There's a pile of sliced raw garlic on the side.

This is the third meal at this inn, and all of them have a lot of garlic. Garlic power. It seems to be effective even in this world.

I eat the first piece normally. The fat is as delicious as ever, and the slight gamey flavor remains, but the meat juice has increased due to the charcoal, making it clearly more flavorful. Charcoal is amazing.

Next, I eat it with the sliced raw garlic. The strong garlic aroma and spiciness mix with the orc belly meat, creating a rough but delicious flavor. It definitely goes well with ale. It would be perfect if it were cold, but oh well.

I cut slits in the bread and stuff it with the meat and garlic. This is good too. I finish the meal by alternating between the meat and ale and return to my room. Tomorrow is the beginner's training, so I need to rest and get ready.

---

When I enter the adventurer's guild, the gazes still gather on me. I ask the expressionless Eltina where the beginner's training is held. She tells me the location very coldly, so I head there.

When I enter the room, the beginner adventurers who were inside stopped talking for a moment, but then they returned to a normal atmosphere, ignoring me. If I talk to them or get close, they'll probably be annoyed. I kind of want to try, but I'll refrain from meaningless mischief.

After waiting for a while, an adventurer uncle came in. He glanced at me but then ignored me and started greeting everyone.

---

It was worse than I imagined, but I did gain some basic knowledge, so it wasn't completely useless. However, the instructor completely ignored me. Was it on the guild master's orders?

The reasons for forming a party, the dangers of solo adventuring, and the importance of human relationships, especially respecting elders, were all explained. It was all correct, and I understood it, but he seemed to be enjoying it while looking at me, so there was definitely malice.

My questions were ignored, and during the practical training, I was left to do solo practice with a wooden sword. No advice, just swinging the wooden sword.

We were in the same space, but I was doing solo practice with a wooden sword, while a little further away, other trainees were having a fulfilling lesson, asking, "Is this right?" and getting responses like, "No, you do it like this." It was a typical "real life" scene. I'm not envious. I have Sylph and the others.

I feel relieved seeing Bell imitating my wooden sword swings. Will he become a spirit swordsman in the future? Fans will probably swarm him. I can't see it, but it's fun to imagine.

I tried mimicking a crescent moon slash because Tulu liked it, and I dodged Rain and Tamamo's playful attacks in a cool swordsman style. It became quite fun. Do fathers feel like this on their days off?

But the instructor, a B-rank adventurer named Sail, was probably following the guild master's orders. I won't forget his name. I'll make him cry someday.

After the beginner's training, everyone except me went to the guild's bar for a celebration. I wasn't invited, so I returned to the inn. Hehe, the more obvious they are, the more motivated I am to get back at them.

"Hehe. It was tough, wasn't it? What will you do next?"

"Yeah. First, I'll go into the dungeon. I have food, and I plan to aim for the 50th floor. Depending on the results, I'll decide my next steps."

"Are you going now?"

"Yeah... No, I'll tell Martha first. If I leave without saying anything, she'll worry. Can you tell me what's happening in the guild until I get back to the inn?"

"Sure."

...Hehe. Even though I know it won't be good, it still makes me irritated. It seems the guild started moving right after I signed up for the beginner's training.

They talked to the instructor, Sail, and the other beginners to unify their attitude towards me. They were thoroughly ignoring me.

The guild master, who seemed busy, went to such lengths. He must have been really upset.

The celebration for the beginner's training is also being paid for by the guild. Sylph told me they're having a great time drinking and making fun of me.

It's a lot of effort for a new adventurer. No more "gah" or "bah" or any other mild expressions. I'll definitely make them regret it. I knew I'd be harassed in the beginner's training, but I won't accept it just because I expected it. My motivation is rising.

I really want to check out the nightlife and other things, but if I go to such places in this situation, it will spread rumors that are too much. ...Yeah. I won't let it end with a half-hearted regret. I need to add the time I couldn't enjoy to my revenge. I want to push them to the point where the guild master's hair follicles die. I return to the inn with even more motivation.

"Martha, I'm going into the dungeon. I might not be back for a few days, but don't worry."

This way, I can enter the dungeon without any problems.

"Hmm. You seem to have some skills, so maybe it's unnecessary, but don't overdo it. If it gets too tough, come back immediately."

"Yes. I don't plan to overdo it, so I'll take it easy and do my best."

"Are you really okay?"

I feel a bit disappointed, but I've said my goodbyes, so there's no problem. Now it's time for the exciting dungeon exploration. I don't know how far I can go, but if Bell and the others can defeat A-rank monsters, I should be able to go quite far with Sylph's help... right?

Thank you for reading.