Chapter 74

This time, there are cruel descriptions.

In the third floor of the adventurer guild in the city of Kama, there is the guild master's room. Yu and Rena were summoned there.

Guild Master Morphis, sitting in his prized chair made from a 500-year-old tree, puffed on a cigar.

"…Hurry up and get to the point, baldy."

Despite being summoned, Rena, growing impatient with Morphis who wouldn't get to the point, let out a harsh remark.

"Who's bald! I just have slightly finer hair than others!

Well, I called you here to talk about the C-rank exam.

This time, the C-rank candidates are Larit, Eckart, from the clan 'Golden Moon Flower' Moran, Apli, Memet, and from the clan 'Red Meteor' Sham, and your two names have been put forward.

Larit and Eckart are freelance adventurers not affiliated with any clan, but they have enough experience and skills, so they are recommended by the guild. The three from the Golden Moon Flower clan are recommended by the royal capital's adventurer guild."

"Who recommended us?"

"Joseph recommended you. Normally, taking the C-rank exam after only two months as an adventurer is unheard of, but Joseph strongly recommended you based on your skills. As for Rena, the guild decided there would be no problem based on your achievement of defeating the Goblin King.

As for Sham, he is recommended by A-rank adventurer Delrid…"

"Hmm. I won't take it."

"Why not! You're throwing away the chance to become a C-rank adventurer?"

"Don't play dumb. I already know I have the qualifications for C-rank.

Besides, I've never heard of a C-rank exam.

I've also heard from the receptionists that I should already be C-rank based on the number of quests I've completed.

This C-rank exam must have been thought up by someone like Joseph."

"Grr, those guys are spilling all the guild information!"

As Yu said, there was no exam to become a C-rank adventurer. Normally, if you had completed enough quests and had the necessary skills, you would be promoted. However, because Joseph found it boring, he threw a tantrum, and the exam was hastily arranged. Some people, hearing this information, managed to get their recommended candidates included.

Moreover, Yu had been completing a vast number of quests, from gathering materials to daily quests, and it was a mystery why he wasn't already C-rank.

"Then, I'm leaving."

"…This was a waste of time. Not only is your hair thin, but your content is thin too."

"Wait! You two, I hear you've been getting attention from nobles and merchants recently. If you take the exam, the guild can help you. And my hair isn't thin!"

"That's already taken care of."

"Don't underestimate the powerful. They can use their connections to get information from the assassination guild, find your weaknesses, and more."

"I've gathered information too. I have excellent pets."

Yu uses necromancy to control undead rats and birds, and he has dozens of them. These undead rats and birds move around the city of Kama 24/7, monitoring the nobles and merchants who try to involve Yu.

Now, Yu knows everything from the friends and lovers to the hidden children of the nobles and merchants.

"Grr… Fine. If you participate in the promotion exam, I'll make Nina C-rank too."

"…Nina and I will become C-rank soon. One more thing."

"Dark Elf… I'll make Marifa E-rank. This is the maximum concession I can make."

"…E-rank. Not making her D-rank is as cheap as your hair."

Morphis didn't need to make concessions, but because he owed Joseph, it would be bad if Yu and the others didn't participate.

---

"Marifa, what's that?"

"It's a divine object."

Marifa answered, carefully wrapping her black hair in cloth and storing it in the item pouch sewn into the back of her apron dress.

While Yu and the others were called to the guild master's office, Nina and Marifa waited on the first floor.

Marifa, having leveled up to 20 from daily dungeon dives, was also waiting for her turn to take her 2nd job.

"Marifa, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I'll take you to the job change room."

The receptionist who handled Marifa's job change last time came to guide her.

"Then, Nina, I'll be back soon."

"See you later~"

As soon as Nina was alone, male adventurers who had been waiting for an opportunity surrounded her.

"Nina, are you alone today? How about we take a quest together?"

"Are you kidding! If I take a quest with you, who knows what you'll do!

How about taking a quest with me, another scout?"

"Stupid, you don't know anything? Nina's 1st job is Thief, but her 2nd job is Assassin. How about deepening your front-line experience with me, a heavy warrior?"

Nina, who usually had Yu as a solid wall, panicked as the male adventurers swarmed around her.

"Ah, I'm waiting for Yu, so it's fine."

As she waved her hands, Nina's ample chest moved, and the men's noses grew longer.

The female adventurers and receptionists watched with cold eyes.

"Really, these guys are so persistent, aren't they? Nina is in trouble.

Hey, Nina, why did you choose Assassin as your 2nd job? I thought it would be Seeker or Treasure Hunter."

"Ah, I wanted something. Hehe~"

"Huh? You wanted something? In that case, wouldn't Seeker or Treasure Hunter have been better?"

---

"Collette, look at those men's sloppy faces. They're the pride of the city of Kama, and it's so disappointing."

"Hehe… Indeed, they're a bit uncool, aren't they?"

"By the way, Collette, are you hiding anything from me?"

Rebecca grabbed Collette's waist to prevent her from escaping.

"What… what do you mean?"

"Hmm, you're taking that attitude? I saw you walking outside the West Gate the other day."

Sweat trickled down Collette's cheek at Rebecca's words.

"No, no, I walk outside the outer wall sometimes."

"You were walking with some impressive Black Wolves. I was worried you might be attacked by monsters, but then I saw the Black Wolves had collars, and you were happily petting them.

That's when it hit me. There's a mansion a short walk from the West Gate. And Marifa, who has the Tamer job, was sitting outside the guild. Was it a coincidence?"

"H-H-H… Rebecca-san…"

"What? And, you've been getting a bit plump around the middle, haven't you?"

"Actually, there's a reason. Yes! I had to create and deliver a contract for Yu's mansion."

"Really? What did you eat?"

Rebecca smiled, but her eyes didn't.

"I had… pancakes…"

Rebecca, hearing about the pancakes, hurriedly wiped the drool that almost fell from her mouth.

"What would happen if the other receptionists found out about this?"

"Ah! P-P-Please, don't tell anyone!"

"Sure, it depends on your attitude."

Later, Collette asked Yu to prepare pancakes, but the other receptionists, suspicious of Rebecca's unusually good mood, interrogated her. Rebecca, unable to resist, talked, and the first Collette trial was held.

---

"Hey, will you reconsider?"

Adele said the same words to Marifa, but Marifa's resolve was as strong as steel and didn't waver.

This time, the 2nd job Marifa chose was—

"There are no female adventurers who choose 'Bug Tamer.' Why would you choose 'Bug Tamer'?"

"Master said he saw a Giant Bee nest in the Great Forest and wanted to see if it could be tamed."

"Huh? Seriously… Is that the reason? No way…"

Almost no one chooses Bug Tamer as a job. The reason is that there are few Bug Tamers, and the few who exist keep their taming methods secret, so no new Bug Tamers can be trained. Moreover, most women dislike bugs.

"It's not a lie. My top priority is Master."

In the end, Adele gave in, and Marifa successfully took her 2nd job.

When Marifa returned to the lobby, she saw Nina surrounded by male adventurers, but they were just trying to please her, so she was relieved. However, she felt a gaze from the guild entrance and turned to see a trio of nobles.

---

A quiet back alley, a short distance from the adventurer guild, where no one was passing by.

"Do you have some business with me?"

"What's that attitude, you slave?"

"Sett, calm down. We serve Lord Groubard."

"Are you Lord Groubard's knights?"

Sett, the noble called, was about to grab Marifa, but when Cola growled, he stepped back, glaring. Sukke was hiding behind Marifa.

"Lord Groubard has been acting strange lately. You know he tried to contact your master, Yu Sato, right?"

"What if I do?"

Another noble raised his voice at Marifa's attitude.

"We know your dirty master did something to Lord Groubard! Bring your master here quickly!"

"Borphim, why are you getting excited? Our request is to bring Yu Sato here. We tried to meet him formally, but we kept getting interrupted, so we resorted to this rough method."

"…What? My… Master is… dirty?"

"What's wrong? You heard me, didn't you?"

"Bernt, that's enough! Why should we, the nobles, have to beg a slave?"

In the next moment, Marifa was standing right in front of Borphim's face.

"My Master is dirty? You scum. Dirty, you say… Lord Groubard's strange behavior? It's his own fault. You scum, like flies, get swatted when you fly around!

You who insulted my god will suffer so much you'll beg for death before I kill you."

Marifa's sudden change shocked Bernt, who froze, but Sett and Borphim, their faces red with anger, drew their swords. Marifa had already prepared a spirit magic spell, and Cola was ready to pounce.

"Ho ho, what a surprise to see the three knights of Lord Groubard here together."

"Y-You, how did you get here? Could it be Lord Musse?"

"Hmm. Old men prefer quiet places. But, what are you knights doing surrounding a young girl?"

"This is none of your business! This is between us and Yu Sato."

Nung approached with his usual calm steps.

"Lord Musse has already informed Lord Groubard not to approach Yu Sato and received his consent. Is this on Lord Groubard's orders?"

"That's… impossible. We acted on our own."

"Is that so? Then, please leave. Any further interference will only worsen Lord Groubard's position."

The three seemed reluctant, but Marifa, who had intended to kill them without anyone noticing, was also frustrated by Nung's appearance.

"Hmm. Marifa, since these gentlemen don't want to move, let's go.

Yu will worry if you don't return soon."

"…Understood."

With Yu's name mentioned, Marifa couldn't refuse and followed Nung.

---

"Why did Nung appear at this moment!"

"Maybe we were being watched."

"We could have handled this with force! No need for such trouble!"

"Sett is right! Yu Sato is just a dirty adventurer. If we cut off one of his arms, he'll cry and do as we say—Kap!"

In front of Borphim, who should have seen Sett and Bernt, there was now a woman. A familiar woman. Yu Sato's party member—Nina… Borphim's consciousness faded.

"Damn!"

Sett swung his sword, but Nina's movements were even faster.

"Sorry~"

Sett was in the middle of swinging his sword when Nina had already circled behind him and grabbed his head. In the next moment, using the assassination skill Level 2 'Twist,' she snapped his neck just like Borphim.

"Whose… order? Is it… Yu Sato's order…?"

"Hehe~ No, it's not. You were going to do something terrible to Yu, right?"

"You won't get away with this. Yu Sato will be executed for attacking a noble! Do you understand!"

Ignoring Bernt's words, Nina approached him with a blank expression.

"Don't come! Don't come! Anyone! Is anyone there!?"

Choosing a deserted alley was Bernt's mistake. His screams were drowned out by the noise of the main street.

Nina slowly approached Bernt and looked into his eyes.

"Yu… anyone who tries to hurt Yu… I'll… eliminate them all. Got it?"

"Stop… I understand, I won't… involve myself with Yu Sato… I won't tell anyone… don't kill me. Ah, I don't want to."

Nina placed her hand on Bernt's head and applied pressure. Bernt tried to resist by grabbing Nina's arm, but it was futile. Bernt's level was 23, his 1st job was Warrior, and his 2nd job was Knight, but Nina's strength, enhanced by her equipment and skills, was far superior.

"Don't… don't… don't… don't… don't… don't… don't… don't. Stop, g, g, g, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who, who