In the meeting room on the guild’s second floor, Rei stood staring at Residence, his mouth hanging open in disbelief at the words the man had just uttered.
“By adding ‘limited,’ do you mean this is different from a normal B-Rank promotion?”
“It is. To be specific, while you will be treated as a standard B-Rank adventurer on the surface, the guild will assign an assistant to you whenever you accept a request from a noble or a member of the royal family.”
“...An assistant?”
“You could call them an interpreter of sorts. Simply put, your manners toward the nobility are nonexistent, so they will handle the social aspects. To put it very plainly, that assistant will be the one to hear the requests from the nobles—or deal with them if you have to travel together—leaving you free to focus entirely on the mission itself.”
Rei, Shtie, and Robre fell silent as they processed Residence's explanation. Shtie was the first to connect the dots.
“So, basically, you're giving him a babysitter?”
“Well, that’s the long and short of it,” Residence admitted with a casual nod.
Rei’s face twisted into a sour grimace.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Residence countered. “This measure is only necessary because you refuse to show proper respect to high-ranking officials. Furthermore, an assistant won’t be assigned every single time. When a nomination request for Rei comes in, the guild will explain his personality to the noble client beforehand. If the client is someone who insists on strict etiquette, then the nearest guild office will provide an assistant once the job is accepted.”
“Wait a damn minute!” Robre shouted, slamming his fist onto the table with the raw power of a beastman.
The furniture, built to withstand the rowdy atmosphere of a guild, didn't so much as show a scratch from the blow. Residence ignored the outburst and shook his head as he watched Robre.
“It’s true that both you and Rei failed to meet the passing criteria regarding noble etiquette. However, even if you both fell short, the gap between your overall performances was massive. That is why he was granted this exception. Beyond that, there are the various requirements of an adventurer’s core abilities. I believe I already explained those earlier, didn’t I?”
“Th-that’s...”
Robre found himself at a loss for words. He thought back to the way the Bicorns had been divided, the presence of the Misty Ring, the power of the Gryphon Seto, and—most importantly—the weight of Rei's status as an alias holder. All these factors surely played into why Rei was passing while he was not.
“Rei, let’s settle this!” Robre grabbed the spear leaning against the table and pointed the tip directly at Rei.
While the others in the room watched in stunned silence, Robre continued, his voice loud and firm.
“To be honest, I’m not the smartest guy around. I can’t just sit here and accept that you’re passing for the same reason I’m failing. If we’re adventurers, then I want to settle this the adventurer way—with a test of strength!”
Rei considered the challenge for a few seconds before glancing toward Residence. Seeing the examiner give a small, subtle nod, Rei turned back to Robre and mirrored the gesture.
“Fine. I accept.”
Rei understood the frustration. He knew how it felt to be evaluated similarly but treated differently, and he could see why Robre couldn't let it go. He accepted the challenge not out of malice, but out of a sense of fairness.
However, Robre’s partner, Shtie, wasn't about to stay quiet.
“Robre, stop it! You saw how strong Rei was when we fought the Bicorns! Why are you being so reckless?”
“Sorry, Shtie. My head understands perfectly. Residence is right; the way I acted during the Rank Up Exam probably warrants a failure. But my heart... my heart isn't convinced. I need this fight to clear the air.”
“...Idiot, idiot, idiot. You’re such a hopeless idiot. Fine, do whatever you want! I’ll stay and referee just to make sure you don't get yourself killed.”
Robre gave a small, sheepish smile at Shtie’s puffed-out cheeks before turning back to Rei. His expression shifted instantly. The gentle look he had for his lover vanished, replaced by the ferocious, predatory grin of a carnivore facing its prey.
“Well, if you’re both satisfied, do what you want,” Residence said. “It will take a little time to update the guild cards anyway. Rei, Shtie, hand over your cards before you head to the training ground. Oh, and as for Rei’s ‘limited’ status, only the guild needs to know the details. The public announcement will simply list you as a new B-Rank adventurer without any of the fine print.”
“An announcement?” Rei asked, handing over his card. “That didn't happen when I reached Rank D. Do you really announce B-Rank promotions?”
“We do. There is a massive difference in numbers between Rank D and B-Rank. Once you reach B-Rank, you are officially considered an expert—a first-class adventurer. Because of that, the names of those who pass the exam are made public within this guild. Of course, usually, you would still need to present your guild card to prove your rank in other cities. Inter-guild communications aren't typically used to broadcast rank updates unless something truly extraordinary happens.”
As Residence took their cards, his brow furrowed slightly.
Then again, considering Rei has a Gryphon and an Item Box, he’s almost certainly going to become one of those ‘extraordinary’ cases sooner or later.
“Wooooo! Shtie, thank you! I can live like a king for a while thanks to you!”
“Ugh, I knew Rei would pass. I won the bet, but since he was the favorite, the payout is barely worth it.”
“Then why’d you bet on him? Are you just trying to rub it in because I lost everything on Robre?”
“Better than that guy over there, right?”
“Sniff... I knew betting on Onz as the dark horse was a mistake... I’m going to be eating nothing but dried meat for a month...”
“You didn’t even know who he was! What were you thinking?”
“But the odds were so good...”
As Rei, Robre, and Shtie descended to the guild 1F, they were met with a wave of mixed cheers and groans. While the candidates were receiving their results upstairs, the betting pool on the ground floor had finally been settled.
Technically, those who had bet on Onz—who turned out to be an examiner—should have had their bets voided and refunded. However, since the betting was handled by a group of independent volunteers and only those involved in the exam knew Onz’s true identity, those who had placed bets on the "dark horse" were simply out of luck.
Of course, given that Rei was famous for his companion Seto, and Robre and Shtie were well-known fixtures in Gilm, very few people had actually wasted money on the unknown Onz anyway.
The crowd’s attention shifted as they noticed the trio coming down the stairs. People moved to offer congratulations or condolences, but they stopped short when they saw the intense, deadly serious expression on Robre’s face.
Kenny, who had been waiting for the first chance to celebrate with Rei, froze mid-step. She glanced toward her friend at the counter.
“...Hey, what do you think is happening?”
“Robre-san failed and Rei-san passed, right?” Lenora whispered back. “It looks like Robre-san couldn't accept it and challenged him to a duel. At least it doesn't look like he's just being a petty jerk about it. It feels... official.”
“I guess... but aren't you worried about Rei-kun?”
“Listen, Rei-san is a B-Rank adventurer now. There’s no reason for us receptionists to worry about him...”
Despite her dismissive words, Lenora couldn't stop her eyes from following Rei as he walked toward the door. She truly was a kind soul. Kenny gave her a knowing look, exasperated by her friend’s stubbornness, but found herself wishing she could follow the crowd of adventurers who were already rushing out to watch the spectacle.
At the training ground adjacent to the guild, Rei and Robre stood facing each other on the bare, packed earth. Rei held the Death Scythe while Robre gripped his spear. Shtie stood between them as the referee, while a large crowd of adventurers who had followed them from the guild gathered around the perimeter. Outside the fence, Seto waited, having sensed Rei’s arrival.
“...Sorry, Rei. Forcing you into this just to satisfy my own ego.”
“Don’t worry about it. If I were in your shoes, I might have asked for the same thing.”
“Alright, listen up!” Shtie shouted, her voice reluctant but firm. “This is a mock battle. Do not forget that! Any attack that could result in a fatal wound is absolutely forbidden!”
Rei and Robre both nodded in agreement. Around them, the atmosphere was electric.
“Alright, three silver coins on Rei!”
“Five copper coins on Robre!”
“Purely in terms of combat power, Robre doesn't stand a chance. I’ll play it safe—four silver coins on Rei.”
“I lost the first round, so you better win this one, Robre! One silver coin!”
The fever from the earlier betting hadn't cooled down; if anything, it had intensified. The moment the adventurers realized a duel was happening, new bets were being placed. Shtie looked at the crowd with glazed eyes, realized the spectators wouldn't stop, and sighed.
“Are you both ready? Please... just try not to get hurt too badly. ...Begin!”
The moment the signal left Shtie’s lips, Robre lunged. He kicked off the dirt, closing the distance with the explosive speed characteristic of a wolf beastman. His movements were sharp and practiced—a testament to why he was a candidate for B-Rank. He unleashed a high-speed thrust right from the start, showing no intention of holding back.
Rei swung the Death Scythe, parrying the thrust with the butt end of the shaft.
A sharp metallic clang echoed through the training ground. The move was so fast that many of the lower-ranked spectators didn't even see the contact. From there, the air filled with the rapid-fire sound of metal striking metal as the two exchanged blows.
“Whoa, are they even?”
“No way. That’s Rei we’re talking about. He’s just feeling him out.”
“...I can’t even see their weapons...”
The spectators were correct. While Robre’s spear and Rei’s Death Scythe seemed to be clashing as equals, Rei had yet to channel any magic power into his weapon. He was fighting purely with physical skill.
Robre realized this as well. Seeing his best thrusts parried with such ease made him grit his teeth in frustration.
Is this... is this the level of an alias holder? Not yet! I’m not done yet!
He screamed inwardly, leaping backward to put distance between them.
“Here it comes! This is my trump card!” he roared, focusing his magic power.
As a warrior, Robre couldn't use magic in the traditional sense, but he possessed a decent amount of magic power and the specialized techniques to weaponize it.
Rei watched him, reminded of the Shock Wave technique he had seen Mirene use once before.
“Penetrate Fang!”
With a thunderous shout, Robre poured his magic power into the spear. He lunged forward with a burst of speed that surpassed anything he had shown before. The magic spiraling around the spearhead created a localized vortex of wind, causing the tip to rotate with lethal velocity. It was a piercing strike designed to bypass almost any defense, aimed directly at Rei’s throat.
“Power Slash!”
Rei’s voice was calm as he swung the Death Scythe in a rising arc. The heavy blade caught the underside of the spinning spear, shattering the vortex and sending the weapon flying upward.
“Guaaaaah!”
The shock of the impact numbed Robre’s arms instantly. Stunned that his ultimate technique had been swatted aside like a toy, he froze.
“It’s over.”
The voice came from directly behind him. Robre felt the cold, razor-sharp edge of the Death Scythe's blade resting against his throat. He had no idea when Rei had moved.
Robre closed his eyes and lowered his head, finally admitting his defeat.