It was the day after the rank-up exam had ended. Setting aside the physical toll of traveling far to strike a bandit gang, the mental fatigue of leading a party of strangers had been far more draining. Rei had slept soundly to recover, only waking once the sun was already high in the sky.
He prepared for the day, donning his Dragon Robe and Sleipnir's Shoes as was his custom. After finishing a late breakfast—or perhaps an early lunch—in the Dusk Wheat Inn 1F dining hall, he made his way to the stables.
The previous evening, Seto had been so overcome with joy that his frolicking had earned Rei a scolding from Lana, the inn’s landlady. However, a night’s rest seemed to have settled the creature. Seto greeted him with a standard, low cry.
"Guruuu."
"Morning. We don't have any requests today, but I’m heading to the Guild to hear the result announcement of the rank-up exam. Do you want to come along, Seto?"
"Guruuu."
Seto nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Rei smiled and led him out of the stables. He noticed the horses inside looking visibly relieved as they departed; he was certain it wasn't just his imagination.
Perhaps because summer was drawing to a close, the sky was covered in a layer of thin clouds, a departure from the clear weather of the previous days. Man and beast set off through the city together.
On their way to the Guild, they stopped at the now-familiar stalls to buy sandwiches, grilled skewers, and other finger foods, which Rei shared with Seto as they walked. Residents of the City of Gilm approached to offer Seto dried meat or bread, and children flocked to play with him. Occasionally, a newcomer who didn't know Seto would try to bolt in terror the moment they saw him, only to be stopped by locals who would patiently explain the situation. They treated the trip like a casual stroll, and by the time they reached the Guild, the lunch hour was nearly over.
"Seto, wait for me in the area for the Guild's carriage like usual. This might take a little while today, but that shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Guruuu."
Seto was currently a legitimate celebrity in the City of Gilm. Despite being an A-rank monster, the gap between his power and his friendly nature had earned him fans of all ages—men, women, children, and the elderly alike.
Of course, there were those who loathed him on the principle that a monster was still a monster, but they remained a minority faction. Because so many people wanted to interact with him, the area where carriages and tamed monsters waited had secretly become a popular attraction for those hoping to spend time with the gryphon.
Rei gave Seto a quick pat on the head and stepped inside the Guild.
"Ah, Rei-kun, morning! Or I guess it’s ‘afternoon’ now. Anyway, over here, over here!"
Kenny waved vigorously from behind the counter. Her voice carried through the entire hall, drawing the gazes of several adventurers toward Rei. Beside her, Lenora was busy explaining a request to another adventurer—a sight that, to Rei, felt like the reverse of their usual roles.
Amused by the scene, Rei walked over to Kenny’s counter.
"I’m here for the result announcement of the rank-up exam."
"Yep, I know. A few of the others are already here. It’s in the meeting room you all used yesterday."
"I see."
Rei nodded and turned toward the stairs, then paused.
"By the way, do you know how late they were in the meeting room yesterday?"
"Hmm, the elf and the warrior left shortly after you did, Rei-kun, but..."
"You mean Arrogan, Culotte, and Schola?"
"I don't know their names that well, but the other warrior and the thief-mage duo stayed for quite a while. Apparently, it only ended after Gran-san stepped in and shouted at them."
"I figured it would come to that."
Rei gave a wry smile, thinking their greed had brought it on themselves. He thanked Kenny and headed up to the 2F meeting room.
"Oh, you’re late."
Filma’s voice greeted him as he entered. She and Culotte were deep in conversation, while Schola was hunched over a book.
"Am I? I don't think I'm that late, considering two people haven't even shown up yet."
Rei replied to Filma as he took a nearby chair and looked at Culotte.
"I heard you were arguing for a long time yesterday."
"So it seems," Filma said. "We were just talking about that."
"Don't look at me like that," Culotte grumbled. "It’s Arrogan’s fault for being so greedy."
"I think you’re both as bad as each other. So, how did the loot end up being divided?"
"It’s... still a work in progress," Culotte admitted. "We’re planning to resume the discussion once this announcement is over."
"Well, I’ve already got my share, so I won't interfere... but you shouldn't be too greedy."
"Tell that to Arrogan, not me!"
"...That’s my line."
Arrogan entered the room, looking thoroughly displeased.
"Thieves are supposed to be greedy, but you’re something else entirely."
"Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!"
"It means exactly what it sounds like."
Despite the bickering, Arrogan sat down right next to her. While they seemed as hostile as they had been at the start of the rank-up exam, there was a clear undercurrent of mutual respect—a bond between people who had acknowledged each other’s worth.
Rei and Filma watched the pair with exasperated expressions. Schola, who was usually the one to restrain Culotte, remained completely absorbed in his reading.
"He seems pretty lost in that book."
"Oh, Schola?" Filma said. "Apparently, a spellbook he’s wanted for ages finally came into stock. He went and bought it first thing this morning."
"The reward was only one silver coin, and Schola’s request for the bandit treasure was just potions and cheap magic items. How did he afford a spellbook?"
"He’d been saving up for it since he placed the order a long time ago."
"Huh. As a magic user myself, I’m curious. What kind of spellbook is it?"
"Something related to Estha Nor, the extraordinary alchemist who was famous as one of the Majin."
"...I see."
Rei stiffened for a moment at the name. Estha Nor was an alchemist of the Zephyle Clan; almost all the magic items Rei currently wore were her creations.
"Rei?"
"No, I was just surprised to hear such a famous name. Still, I thought Schola was a mage specializing in wind and water. Is he planning to study alchemy?"
"Who knows? You should ask him yourself."
"I suppose you're right. He’s too focused right now, though."
As Arrogan and Culotte bickered and Rei and Filma chatted, the final member of the party arrived.
"It seems I'm the last one."
"Indeed. But Gran hasn't arrived yet, so you're fine."
Superbia entered the meeting room wearing a different set of armor than the day before. It was still leather armor, but clearly of much higher quality.
"I see. That’s the armor you chose."
"Yeah. Yesterday was exhausting. Armor is heavy and takes up a lot of space. I kept my current set and a spare, then sold the rest to a shop..."
"Ah, that makes sense."
Items like potions and gems didn't require much space, and Rei had only taken ten spears and five daggers. Those were easy enough to carry, especially with his Misty Ring. Superbia, however, had received bulky armor and shields. Carrying that much weight in metal, hide, and bone would have been an ordeal.
"How did you manage?"
"I called some friends to help me move it. It turned into a decent amount of coin."
As Rei spoke with Superbia, his ears picked up the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Looks like he's here."
"What?"
"The man who decides whether we rank up or not."
True to Rei’s word, Gran walked into the room a few seconds later. He scanned the room, and once he confirmed every candidate was present, he spoke.
"Good, everyone's here. I'll get straight to the point and announce the results."
The room fell silent as tension gripped the group. Even Schola closed his book and looked at Gran with a nervous expression. With all eyes on him, Gran smiled and nodded.
"Congratulations. You’ve all been promoted to D-rank."
"Hell yeah!"
"We did it! We did it!"
"Phew... thank god..."
"So we made it, huh."
"What a relief."
Arrogan, Culotte, Schola, Superbia, and Filma each let out sighs of relief, celebrating their success. Rei also exhaled, a genuine smile spreading across his face. He had been particularly worried because he had served as the party leader despite his lack of social experience. He was confident in his combat skills, but being judged on his leadership had left even him feeling anxious.
"Congratulations, Rei."
"Yeah, you too."
Rei responded to Filma with a smile as they shared in the moment.
"Alright, that’s enough celebrating for now. Come in."
At Gran’s command, a member of the guild staff entered the room and approached the group.
"Hand over your guild cards. We need to update your ranks."
They followed the instruction, and the staff member collected the cards, double-checking each one.
"Gran-san, I’ll get started on these immediately."
"Right. We'll pass the time by reviewing the exam."
"Understood. It shouldn't take very long."
Once the staff member had left, Gran turned his attention back to the group.
"As of today, you are all officially D-rank adventurers. However, remember that there were some very close calls during this mission. First, Rei. As I told you before we started, your combat ability is beyond reproach. However, at D-rank and above, you'll be expected to party up more often. I was concerned about your interpersonal skills, but your commands during battle were... well, they weren't perfect, but they were a passing grade. Same goes for your coordination. However, your behavior after rescuing the merchants—specifically regarding the cargo—was a mark against you. If those merchants were the type to expect other adventurers to work for free just because you did, it would have caused significant trouble. Fortunately, they weren't that kind of people, but you need to be more careful about those things from now on."
Rei nodded solemnly. Gran then turned to Culotte.
"Next, Culotte. You were far too aggressive with Rei and Arrogan at the start, likely due to nerves. And as I told Rei, the issue with the cargo was a mistake. However, your skills as a thief are exactly what I expect from a D-rank. Keep refining them."
Culotte nodded in agreement. Gran’s gaze moved to Schola.
"Schola, your mental weakness is a problem. You aren't a vanguard warrior; you’re a rearguard mage. You can't afford to be paralyzed just because you killed a bandit. Your primary task moving forward is to build your mental fortitude."
"Yes, sir. I’ll work on it."
Satisfied with the answer, Gran looked at Superbia.
"Next, Superbia and Filma. You two performed your duties flawlessly without letting the act of killing affect your focus. If I were scoring this rank-up exam, you two would be at the top. But don't forget—you're only D-rank. There are many adventurers far stronger than you. Don't get complacent."
"I won't."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Finally, Gran turned to Arrogan.
"Your evaluation was the lowest in the group. You overestimate yourself and look down on others. You were late to the meeting. You failed to communicate with your teammates. And you were mentally fragile after the combat. Honestly, if you had stayed that way, you would have failed. However, you were honest enough with Culotte and Schola to talk through your issues, and your teamwork reached a passing level because of it. ...But don't forget. You passed this exam by the skin of your teeth."
"...Yeah."
Arrogan nodded, looking pained by the harsh critique. Gran then addressed the entire room.
"Regardless, you are all D-rank adventurers now. You'll be seen as full-fledged adventurers who have moved past the beginner stages of E-rank. Don't forget that. ...Especially you, Arrogan. Keep that in mind."
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
The staff member returned right on cue. He held six guild cards and returned them to their owners. The rank engraved on each card had changed from E to D. Seeing the physical proof of their promotion, everyone’s faces lit up with smiles—even Rei, who usually kept his expressions neutral.
"Alright, that officially concludes the rank-up exam! I expect great things from you all. Dismissed!"
Everyone stood and began to filter out of the room. Arrogan and Culotte immediately started back on their argument, dragging a book-clutching Schola along with them.
Rei went to follow them, but Gran’s voice stopped him.
"Rei, stay here. I have something to discuss with you."
Gran spoke with a heavy, serious expression.