Chapter 9: Townsperson A Raises His Adventurer Rank

I reached my twelfth birthday and officially became an F-rank adventurer.

Name: Allen Rank: F Age: 12 Divine Protection: None Skills: 【Stealth】【Appraisal】【Alchemy】 Residence: Luluden Savings: 2,901,534 Cent Level: 1 Stamina: E Mana: F

Now that I was twelve, my level and status parameters finally appeared. It had been a mystery why I couldn't see them before, but apparently, the world’s mechanics dictated that they remained hidden for G-rank children.

The reason the status window was so sparse was another quirk of the otome game's design. The developers probably thought simplifying things would appeal to the target audience, but it goes without saying that this lack of detail made my life significantly more difficult.

"Young Allen is finally F-rank, huh? We’re going to be short-handed for cleaning the gutters now."

"Oh! Young Allen, congratulations!"

"You did it, kid!"

Because Master had made the announcement at the top of his lungs, the surrounding adventurers joined in on the celebration. Over the last four years, I hadn't just gotten close to my mentor; I’d become quite friendly with the rest of the Guild, too.

"Ah, Allen-kun is finally F-rank as well? Congratulations."

"Monica-san, thank you very mu—mph!"

Monica-san, a waitress at the tavern attached to the Guild, offered her congratulations from the side. As usual, she pulled me into a crushing hug. She was quite beautiful and rather well-endowed, but her habit of physical affection was always a bit excessive. Even now, she was squeezing me so hard my face was buried in her chest. I wasn't sure whether to be pained or overjoyed; it was a real dilemma.

I am a red-blooded male, after all...

"Bwahaha! Young Allen is always going to be Monica's favorite little brother."

Master and the senior adventurers teased us mercilessly. It was a familiar scene. Ugh. Definitely a familiar scene.

Once I finally managed to escape Monica-san’s "hug attack," I tried to protest.

"Master, and everyone else—stop calling me 'Young'! I’m already twelve!"

"Hahaha! Any brat who can't beat a man too injured to fight is still 'Young Allen' to me!"

A roar of laughter went up.

"Ugh, damn it..."

It was true. I still couldn't beat Master in a spar.

"Still," Master added, his voice softening into a consoling tone, "there aren't many kids who can do what you do without a Divine Protection like Swordsman or Knight."

He was trying to be kind, but the gap created by a Divine Protection was undeniably massive.

A Divine Protection was essentially a blessing from the gods. They allowed a person to master specific fields at an accelerated rate or granted access to unique abilities.

In the game, the heroine, Amy, possessed the 【Healing】 protection, which allowed her to learn recovery magic at an incredible pace. The Crown Prince had two: 【Fire Magic】 and 【Hero】. He wielded fire and sword with protagonist-level proficiency, possessing the ability to inspire his allies and grow stronger in a crisis.

Even Master, despite his injuries, was a high-level combatant because he had the 【Swordsman】 protection.

On the other hand, I had nothing.

I wasn't being singled out for misfortune; the reality was that almost all commoners were born without a Divine Protection. To survive the Higher Academy, I needed to close that gap before enrollment. To do that, I had a checklist of locations I needed to clear.

The most important of these was the Valley of the Flying Dragons. It contained an item called the Book of the Wind God. If I used it, I could retroactively acquire the 【Wind Magic】 Divine Protection.

As far as I knew, this was the only item in the game that granted a protection, making it an absolute necessity. Without it, I risked failing the practical magic exam and losing my spot at the Higher Academy. But before I could head there, I needed to reach E-rank so I’d be allowed to travel to other cities.

Fortunately, I had four years' worth of "points" saved up from cleaning gutters. If I completed a standard F-rank request—either gathering herbs or subjugating a Horn Rabbit—I would be eligible for an immediate promotion.

"Well then, I’m off to pick some herbs and hunt a Horn Rabbit."

"Right, get to it. This is your first time outside the town walls, isn't it? Be careful out there."

"I will. See you later."

Master saw me off with a wave, though, of course, this wasn't actually my first time leaving town. Master was a sharp man, but even he couldn't imagine that his eight-year-old student had once snuck out to steal a Scroll of Appraisal from a Goblin nest.

Once I entered the forest outside of town, I quickly confirmed my suspicions: there were no medicinal herbs to be found nearby. The area had clearly been picked clean by other adventurers. I decided to head toward the ruins in the northeast where the Goblins used to live. I figured I’d find both Horn Rabbits and herbs in that direction.

I moved through the woods with my breath held, using my Concealment to mask my presence as I walked.

I spotted a few Horn Rabbits, but the herbs remained elusive. I could have hunted the rabbits then and there, but doing so would mean carrying bleeding carcasses around, which was inconvenient. I preferred to finish the gathering first.

Eventually, I reached the ruins.

Since the Goblins had been wiped out years ago, the place was deserted. If I remembered the game correctly, this area eventually became a habitat for Blue Slimes, and Rare herbs grew in the back.

Alright, let’s see.

I stepped inside. The Akarigoke growing on the walls provided plenty of light, which was a relief; I didn't want to fumble around with a torch.

Upon reaching a wall, I checked a small side room. This was where the Goblins had kept their loot, but there wasn't a trace of treasure left. Naturally, the spot where the Scroll of Appraisal should have been was empty. My past actions had already changed the "loot table" for this area.

However, I decided to check the opposite corner of the room. My fingers brushed against a single silver coin—10,000 Cent.

In the game, the amount of money found here changed based on the difficulty setting. Easy Mode gave you 100,000 Cent, Normal Mode gave 10,000, and Hard Mode gave you nothing at all.

So, this world is running on Normal Mode, I noted. I tucked the coin away and headed deeper into the ruins.

On the second floor, I encountered a few Blue Slimes. I ignored them. To kill a slime with a blade, you have to hit the core precisely, and they were a tedious matchup for my current skill set.

Relying on my 【Stealth】 skill, I navigated the second floor, picking herbs based on my memories of the game's map.

The ruins had been largely picked over by now, so there were no treasure chests left. There was no point in going to the deepest level; since I’d already taken the "Goblins' lost property" years ago, the herbs were the only things of value left. As for the Blue Slimes, they lived anywhere dark and damp, so they weren't exactly a Rare find.

Once I had gathered all the herbs I could remember, I left the ruins and started the trek back to town.

On the way, I spotted a lone Horn Rabbit nibbling on some grass. I crept up using 【Stealth】 and killed it with a single, clean thrust of my sword.

It was exactly as I’d planned, but it felt almost too easy. I had no desire to pursue the career, but I realized I probably had the makings of a very talented assassin.

The horn, meat, and fur of a Horn Rabbit were all sellable, so I quickly bled the carcass and began butchering it. During my long years as a G-rank, I’d spent plenty of time helping the staff butcher materials brought in by others. By now, I could dismantle any prey found in this region with my eyes closed.

I kept the Magic Stone for myself and decided to sell the rest of the materials to the Guild. Magic Stones would be essential for my future plans, so I could never have too many.

I "assassinated" two more Horn Rabbits on the way back and finally returned to the Guild to turn in my materials.

"Alright, Young Allen. Good work. That officially makes you E-rank. You've tied the record for the fastest promotion in history."

"Thank you very much!"

And just like that, I was promoted to E-rank on my very first day.