Chapter 13

Graf, who was asked to conduct a test for a new adventurer, hurriedly made his way to the training ground. Since the sun had already set, he was in the middle of preparing to go home. Given the time, it would have been fine to conduct the practical test tomorrow.

However, Graf chose to conduct the test immediately.

The reason was that he liked new adventurers.

He had once been a C-rank adventurer and decided to retire from adventuring around the age of forty.

A C-rank adventurer is considered top-notch.

Completing C-rank quests can earn a substantial amount of money, and the time and effort required to reach C-rank are considerable. It's not something to be given up lightly.

Still, he couldn't fight the aging process. No matter how much he pushed his body, the decline in strength was inevitable.

There was no point in risking his life out of stubbornness.

With this thought, he retired from active duty.

Some adventurers believe in dying on the battlefield, but Graf valued his life.

Life is the foundation of everything.

After retiring as an adventurer, Graf was hired as a guild staff member, serving as a trainer.

He had always been interested in nurturing new adventurers. Whenever he saw a new adventurer, he couldn't help but take care of them.

New adventurers are clueless and often make judgment errors, leading to their deaths.

Since he started taking care of new adventurers, the mortality rate of new adventurers has significantly decreased, which is Graf's secret pride.

Moreover, among those he has taken care of, some have risen to become high-ranking adventurers, such as C-rank or B-rank. This is another source of pride for him.

In the future, the adventurers he takes care of might avoid losing their lives thanks to him, or they might become high-ranking adventurers.

Interacting with promising new adventurers allows him to imagine such a glorious future.

That's why he became addicted to it.

Being a trainer was, in a sense, his calling.

Anyway, when Graf arrived at the training ground, he saw a pair of a man and a woman. One of them was Estelle, who had recently become an adventurer and had now reached E-rank.

She has potential.

If she continues to train without giving up, Graf believes she might reach C-rank.

Estelle is that talented.

This time, the one to undergo the practical test was not Estelle but the boy standing next to her.

He had black hair and black eyes, a rare combination in Finris.

For some reason, his body was stained with blood, but Graf was only slightly surprised and quickly accepted it.

The adventurer's workplace is a battlefield. Being surprised by seeing someone drenched in blood is not something an adventurer can afford.

What caught Graf's attention more than the blood was the boy's aura.

He exuded an unusual and abnormal presence.

For a moment, it felt as if he was a goblin being glared at by a dragon.

(Could this be the exceptional talent who can aim for A-rank?)

However, when he looked at the paper handed to him, Graf's blood, which had been boiling, quickly calmed down.

"What, a 'Subhuman'?"

In the remarks section of the new adventurer application form, it was written "Wanderer."

Instantly, Graf's expectations for the new adventurer plummeted to the bottom.

A subhuman cannot level up beyond level 1.

Their physical abilities, which should be enhanced by leveling up, do not improve at all.

The cause is the "growth limit."

The level cap is determined at birth.

This is called the growth limit.

For Ealguardians, the lowest level is 20.

There are even those with a level cap of over 90.

In the case of wanderers, the growth limit is level 1.

In the past, there has never been an exception...

Bound by the growth limit, they cannot level up to enhance their physical abilities.

This is why wanderers are called subhumans.

There was no way Graf, who was currently level 32, could lose to a level 1 opponent.

If Graf wanted to, he could knock the boy out with a single finger (though he wouldn't because it would be tiring).

The boy (whose name was written as Thor on the application form) held a wooden sword in front of him.

"---!?"

Graf, who had been underestimating the subhuman, was taken aback by the refined movement.

Suddenly, goosebumps ran down his spine.

(What the hell is this...? Even though he's a subhuman, this oppressive aura. Could he have some training in swordsmanship?)

Thor's stance was so flawless that even Graf, a former C-rank adventurer, couldn't easily attack.

Graf revised his evaluation of Thor upward.

Still, Graf wasn't anxious.

In combat, quantity often overwhelms quality, and even the most advanced techniques are meaningless in the face of overwhelming physical performance.

However, Graf's confidence was shattered in the next instant when the boy took a breath.

"---Gah!!"

When he realized it, Graf was rolling on the ground.

His abdomen was in intense pain, and bile rose to his throat.

(What just happened!?)

Graf had no idea what had happened to him.

But from the pain in his abdomen and the stance of the boy looking down at him, he could infer that he had been hit with the wooden sword.

However, even if he understood the situation, it was hard to accept.

(I didn't even realize I was attacked!? That's ridiculous... He's a subhuman!)

Graf, a former C-rank adventurer, was a top-tier adventurer. It was hard to imagine that a subhuman could perform an attack that he couldn't even perceive.

He wondered if the boy had used dirty tactics or if Estelle had attacked him. While in pain and nausea, Graf desperately tried to think of explanations.

However, none of the ideas were convincing.

On the other hand, he couldn't believe that the boy had won fairly.

"Anyway, the practical test is over for now."

After the pain in his abdomen subsided, Graf said this. He wrote the results of the practical test on the paper and handed it to Thor.

"By the way, Thor. Have you ever learned swordsmanship?"

"Swordsmanship... I've only dabbled in kendo in school."

"Kendo?"

Tilting his head at the unfamiliar word, Graf recalled that Thor was a wanderer. Kendo must be something from the world he came from.

(So Thor was an elite in his original world.)

It made sense why he felt such pressure before the fight.

Still, it didn't explain the movement that he couldn't even follow with his eyes.

"Well, what was that?"

As he watched the two leave the training ground, Graf muttered to himself.

For the practical test, Graf would write one of three responses on the application form.

A circle for those with high combat skills.

A triangle for those with some flaws but potential to be trained.

An X for those with no combat skills at all.

This time, the judgment Graf made for Thor was—

"I never thought there would come a day when I couldn't judge someone's abilities..."

"I can't tell."

—It was a declaration of giving up as a practical test administrator.

○

When Tōru returned from the training ground, he handed the paper he received from the practical test administrator to the receptionist.

The receptionist, who had quickly glanced at the paper, was taken aback.

"Huh?"

"Mr. Thor, you just came back from the practical test, right?"

"Yes."

"What was the result of the match?"

"Well, I managed to win."

"Wh-What!?"

When Tōru mentioned his victory, the receptionist was shocked.

"Did you win a point from Mr. Graf? That's... impossible..."

"Thor is amazing!"

For some reason, Estelle proudly puffed out her chest.

Her ponytail swayed confidently.

"Since he's in charge of the practical test, Mr. Graf must be a very skilled person in the guild, right?"

"Yes, that's right..."

To Tōru's words, Marii nodded awkwardly.

As he said, Graf was a former C-rank adventurer, a top-tier adventurer.

However, even if the opponent was a wanderer, he was not the type to "let the opponent win."

He had a strong belief in the fairness of an adventurer's combat abilities.

He despised cheating and illegal acts and supported effort and justice.

He had a sense of ethics that didn't match his fierce appearance.

It was inconceivable to Marii that Graf would deliberately lose.

(When the diagnosis of the wanderer was confirmed, I thought my judgment had dulled, but it seems that Mr. Thor is indeed an exceptional talent as I first thought!)

The receptionist's job is demanding.

Dealing with temperamental adventurers, they must be quick and efficient while maintaining their composure.

They have to carry heavy items like materials and proof of slaying, and even a slight delay in their work can result in harsh criticism from adventurers.

To top it off, the salary is very low.

Still, the receptionist position is highly competitive.

The reason is the connections with adventurers.

If they can connect with promising adventurers, they might even marry into a wealthy family.

D-rank adventurers don't earn much.

But C-rank and above are different. They can earn several months' worth of living expenses in just one day.

By staying at home, their husbands can bring in a high salary, and the reputation of being a top-tier adventurer's wife is comparable to that of a low-level noble.

Given the high possibility of such a marriage, there are no women who wouldn't aim for a receptionist position, despite the demanding work.

(If I can get Mr. Thor, my future will be secure... hehe.)

Now, how should I get him to support me? Hehehe.

Marii forced a business smile while inwardly grinning darkly.

"Mr. Thor, as expected."

"...Hey, Thor. Did you do anything to this?"

I have no idea. I don't know anything at all!"

In response to the mysterious pressure from Estelle, Tōru's legs began to tremble.

If this continued, his thin resolve would crumble.

"Mr. Thor, with skills that can win a point from a top-tier guild member, your future looks promising!"

"Thor...?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything at all!"