Chapter 1

6/12 Content was partially revised.

→2022/05/05 Content was partially revised.

"Will the ability appraisal go well?"

"Yeah..."

──Boltana, a town bustling with countless adventurers.

My childhood friend, Rin, and I were visiting the adventurer guild located in one corner of the town.

The reason was to become adventurers.

An adventurer is someone who registers themselves with the Adventurer Guild, an organization with branches in various countries, completes various requests, and receives rewards.

Some have defeated ferocious dragons that threaten people's lives and become renowned heroes, while others have brought back treasures from the depths of dungeons and amassed great wealth.

Growing up in our hometown village, we read such adventure stories and had sworn to form a party together when we turned sixteen, the age of adulthood.

──I never thought I would become a hero in a story.

Still, I couldn't help but look forward to my life as an adventurer.

"..."

I slowly exhaled, trying to suppress my eagerness.

We were now in line in front of the guild's counter to get two things done: 'Adventurer Registration' and 'Ability Appraisal.'

The 'Ability Appraisal' allows one to confirm their latent abilities.

It is usually a paid service, but it is free if you register as an adventurer with the guild.

It seems this generous offer is because the guild is always seeking adventurers with excellent abilities.

"I'm so excited... I wonder what kind of ability I have."

Rin, standing next to me, had been fidgeting ever since we got off the carriage.

I looked at her profile.

She had long, beautiful blonde hair and deep blue eyes that seemed to draw you in. Her skin was as white as snow, and she was so beautiful that she could easily be mistaken for a noble lady if she wore a fine dress.

"Arc? Is something wrong?"

"No... nothing."

I quickly averted my gaze when I noticed she had seen me looking at her.

──I had planned to complete some requests as an adventurer, save up enough money to buy a ring, and confess to her.

We had grown up together, and I wanted to be with her forever...

To achieve this, I needed to protect her from now on.

That's why I wanted to have such an ability.

"Next, please."

The receptionist's voice at the counter reached us.

It seemed our turn had finally come.

This was the moment of destiny.

I gently patted Rin's back and spoke.

"Go ahead. If I turn out to have some ridiculous ability, it'll be awkward for me afterward."

I said this jokingly to ease her tension.

"Really, what are you talking about..."

Rin replied with a tone of exasperation, but her expression was softer than before.

"Alright, I'll go first."

Rin closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then walked determinedly to the counter where the receptionist was seated.

After waiting for a while in a slightly distant position –

The receptionist, who had been looking at a piece of paper in her hand, suddenly exclaimed, "This, this is incredible!"

"Rin, your ability is of the Hero class!"

"Huh?"

At the receptionist's words, the gazes of the adventurers turned to Rin all at once.

"Your 'Level Cap' is 80! Your 'Skills' are [Healing Magic], [High Priest], and [Blessing of the Goddess]!"

"Level Cap 80!? No way!?"

"All of those are the pinnacle skills for a cleric!"

"Having three skills alone is already incredible!"

Praises could be heard from all around.

"Huh? Uh...?"

But Rin, the person in question, was just flustered.

She seemed to find it hard to believe that this was really happening to her.

"The entire Adventurer Guild wishes you the best in your future endeavors, Rin!"

The three receptionists and even the staff behind the counter were all smiling and rejoicing.

It felt like an incredible miracle had occurred.

Even I was surprised by this result.

"Y-Yes! Thank you very much!"

Rin bowed repeatedly to the counter and then returned to me.

"That's... amazing, Rin!"

"Y-Yeah! I'm surprised myself!"

"Well... of course you'd be surprised..."

──People are born with two types of power: 'Level Cap' and 'Skills.'

'Level' increases when you defeat a certain number of monsters, enhancing various abilities.

However, there is a limit to this, and for ordinary people, it is usually between 20 and 30, 50 for a high-ranking knight, and 70 or more for a hero.

'Skills' are akin to one's talent, and those like Rin, who possess [Healing Magic], can use magic to heal wounds.

Ordinarily, a person has only one skill, but there are rare cases where someone has multiple. In Rin's case, having three was truly astonishing.

"Rin is definitely going to be a cleric."

Clerics, who specialize in healing, are essential members of most parties.

Although they are called clerics, they don't actually serve a deity; it's just a traditional term, and no religious faith is required.

"Right! Arc will probably have skills like a swordsman or a paladin!"

"Sure! Leave it to me!"

Imagining myself wielding a sword and defeating monsters one by one, I headed to the counter.

"I'd like to register as an adventurer. My name is Arc."

"Understood. Please place your hand on the crystal orb in front of you."

If Rin were to become a cleric, the best combination for me would be a front-line role.

Ideally, I would have a skill related to swordsmanship.

I placed my hand on the crystal orb as instructed.

The orb began to glow, and words appeared on the paper next to it.

The receptionist took the paper and looked at it –

Then, she burst out laughing.

"Your Level Cap is 1. Your skill is [Instant Death Magic]."

"Huh?"

Suddenly, the guild was filled with laughter.

"Hahaha! Did you hear that? Level 1!!"

"Never seen a Level Cap of 1 before! Must be the weakest in the world!"

"And the skill is [Instant Death Magic]! Both are a complete miss!"

While the adventurers were laughing, I was left in shock.

My Level Cap was 1 – meaning I couldn't get any stronger no matter how many monsters I defeated.

Furthermore, my skill was [Instant Death Magic].

This was a type of magic skill, but it had a terrible reputation.

This was because, while [Instant Death Magic] could instantly kill any opponent if successful, its success rate was abnormally low. It was so low that it almost never worked even on the weakest monsters in the world, slimes.

In short, it was a completely useless skill – a dud.

I took the adventurer card offered by the receptionist and made my way back to Rin, my steps unsteady.

"A-Arc... Are you okay?"

Rin looked at me with a worried expression.

Of course, I wasn't okay.

With this, it was impossible to make a living as an adventurer.

──Could this be a dream or something?

I pinched my cheek to check, but nothing happened. Only the real pain remained.

"May I have a moment, please?"

Just as I was feeling despair, I heard a voice.

Turning around, I saw a tall man in beautiful white armor – he was smiling kindly.

Behind him were three women, all as beautiful as Rin.

"Excuse me, who are you...?"

"My name is Allen. I lead an S-rank adventurer party. Rin, I would like to invite you to join my party as a cleric."

His words surprised the people around us.

"Huh!? That's Allen from the S-rank adventurer party!?"

"I heard all members of Allen's party are over Level 70 – they're all monsters!"

"The king himself meets with them!"

'Ranks' are a classification system for adventurers, starting from the lowest 'E' and going up based on their achievements.

Among these, S-rank is the highest – only a select few of the strongest adventurers are given this rank.

But why would such a person invite Rin, who had just registered, to his party?

She lacked experience, knowledge, and even the level to match.

"Huh!? But I just became an adventurer..."

"Don't worry. Your level will rise quickly once you join the party. Your talent is truly remarkable. Can you use your talent for us... no, for the people?"

Allen smiled at Rin as he said this.

"Wow...! A new adventurer joining Allen's party!"

"Clearly, we live in different worlds..."

The murmurs of the adventurers in the guild made my heart uneasy.

Rin would, of course, refuse.

She would stay with me...

But – there was a hint of hesitation in Rin's expression that I had never seen before.

"H-Hey, wait a minute, Rin. When we left the village, you said you'd form a party with me..."

I couldn't express my thoughts clearly, but I tried my best to persuade her, even though she wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Sorry, Arc. I can't go with you."

"Wh-What...?"

Allen, who had been watching the scene with his arms crossed, smiled after hearing our conversation.

"Rin, please join my party."

"Good decision. Let's go get your equipment. Then, I'll teach you what you need to know as an adventurer."

"Yes, please take care of me."

Allen pulled Rin's shoulder familiarly and left the guild with his companions.

──The only thing I understood from this exchange was that, to Allen, an S-rank adventurer, my existence was not even worth recognizing.

"Man, that guy's really pitiful now."

"Well, this time, he just had bad luck..."

Left alone, I could only stand there in shock.

All I had left was a Level Cap of 1 and the [Instant Death Magic] skill – a completely hopeless combination.

"..."

──I had to chase after her.

That's what I thought.

I had to chase after Rin and bring her back.

I didn't know if it would change anything or if the situation would improve, but I felt I had to do it.

Before I knew it, I was running.

But just as I was about to step through the guild's door, I was hit by a sudden, strong impact.

I fell to the floor, unable to react to the suddenness of it all.

"Ugh!?"

As I tried to get up, I felt a terrifying presence and looked up.

There was a tall man in heavy, pitch-black armor. He had white hair and a large scar on his face.

"Move, trash."

His sharp gaze made me unable to speak, and I could only stare back.

"A... a..."

I felt that if I said anything, I would be killed.

My body was shaking uncontrollably, and I couldn't move.

"Hey, hey, that's not a way to talk, is it?"

A cat-eared and tailed catgirl appeared from behind the man.

"You'll be killed if you stay there, you know?"

The girl looked down at me and laughed.

Her words snapped me out of my daze, and I quickly got up and moved to the side of the guild.

"...It's Balzak's party..."

"I heard he almost killed another adventurer in an argument... What's he doing in Boltana?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down... If he notices you, you don't know what might happen."

"Bal... zak..."

Behind the large man, Balzak, were the catgirl who had spoken to me and two male adventurers.

They were all wearing armor and clothes made of materials I had never seen before.

Looking at them, I realized something.

I didn't belong here.

The desire to chase after Rin had already faded.

And – I had no choice but to leave the adventurer guild.