"That’s enough!!"
The metallic scent of blood stung my nose as Sebas-san's voice thundered across the clearing.
"It seems... I have lost..." Siber-san admitted.
"Ngh... Really? I thought... I was the one who lost. Ouch..."
I winced, checking my condition as the pain from my wounds finally registered.
"I thought I’d barely managed to counter in time," Siber-san mused, "but I didn't expect you to respond so effectively in that split second."
"On my end, I think I was largely saved by my equipment..." I replied.
Our attacks had landed almost simultaneously. The moment my katana slashed through Siber-san's armor and wounded his left shoulder, he had choked up on his halberd, thrusting the tip between his arms to pierce my right shoulder.
In a final burst of stubbornness, I had let go with my skewered right hand and pressed the blade against his neck using only my left arm—but by then, his Wind Cutter had already opened a gash across my abdomen.
"Had you followed through with that swing, Siber-sama, your throat would undoubtedly have been slit," Sebas-san declared with professional detachment. "However, Ryoma-sama has sustained significant wounds to his shoulder and abdomen. Without immediate treatment, such injuries could be life-threatening. I shall judge this match a draw. Both of you, lower your weapons and receive medical attention—Ryoma-sama, you especially must hurry."
With that verdict delivered, we both lowered our weapons. Siber-san sank to the ground as if his knees had finally given out. Perhaps because my own adrenaline was fading, the pain intensified, and my legs began to wobble. Sebas-san caught me before I could fall backward and gently laid me on the grass.
I could feel the warm blood soaking into my gear, turning it a deep crimson. The shoulder was painful, but the abdomen was the real concern. Judging by the flow, I hadn't hit a major artery, but the wound was deep. I needed to stop the bleeding fast.
"Remily-sama!" Sebas-san called out.
"Yes, yes, I’m on it! Mega Heal!" Remily-sama sighed, stepping forward. "Honestly, what kind of match was that supposed to be?"
"I was on pins and needles," Reinbach-sama added, "fearing that one of you might actually die if things slipped even an inch."
"My apologies. As the referee, I—"
"I don't blame you, Sebas," Reinbach-sama interrupted. "In that state, even I couldn't have intervened."
Remily-sama nodded as she focused on her magic. "He's right, Sebas-chan, don't let it get to you. Mega Heal! Towards the end, even my eyes couldn't keep up with them. They broke right through the barrier I’d set up, even if it was just a simple one. You’re all patched up now, but really—fighting until you can’t even hear us shouting? You went way too far."
I blinked in surprise. Before the match, she’d casually mentioned being able to reattach a limb, so I knew her Healing Magic was formidable, but this was incredible. The pain vanished instantly. My pierced shoulder and arm felt perfectly normal—not even a hint of stiffness. She hadn't just stopped the bleeding; she had completely restored the tissue.
Her speed, from assessment to casting, was terrifying. It was a level of precision I could only hope to match by using my slimes' vision and entering a state of total concentration. To do that while casually holding a conversation... her skill was on another level.
As the pain receded, Siber-san sat up and joined the conversation. "Forgive me... I realize now I got a bit too caught up in the moment."
"Ah, the same goes for me. I'm very sorry," I said.
"Well, as long as neither of you was killed and the injuries were healable, all's well that ends well," Reinbach-sama said. "Still, Ryoma-kun, your skill is beyond what I imagined. Had I seen any reason for doubt, I would have insisted on an escort or held you back... but if you can force Siber to get serious and still walk away with a draw, there’s no need for that."
"Actually," Siber-san countered, "the only reason I managed a draw was because this was a 'match.' In a real battle, he would have utilized his traps and the power of his tamed monsters. That being said, what he lacks most is experience. Your magic is fine, but I suspect you haven't been handling Qi for very long, have you? Your footwork and blade work are flawless, but that final counter was a bit rough around the edges."
He saw right through me.
"Your insight is impressive," I admitted. "When I push the output of my Qi-based Physical Strengthening past a certain threshold, my body moves faster than my senses can track, and a lag occurs. As for magic, I’ve been active as an adventurer-mage recently to gain experience, but I realize now that it’s still just a surface-level imitation."
"Mastering Qi varies for everyone," Siber-san explained, "but generally, it takes five years just to shroud your body in it. They say it takes twenty years to truly use it and a lifetime to perfect it. It is a path of long cultivation. Once you accumulate more training and real-world experience, I suspect I won't even be able to fight you to a draw."
With a strong, refreshing smile, Siber-san offered his hand. I sat up and shook it, both of us acknowledging the hard-fought duel.
From the side, I heard Remily-sama mutter something under her breath.
"...Well, that's a relief."
"Eh?"
"Nothing, just talking to myself. By the way, what did you mean by 'presenting yourself as a mage' while acting as an adventurer? I get the words, but the phrasing caught my ear."
"Ah, that. Well... while I’m confident in my close-quarters combat, people rarely believe me given my age and appearance. Since I'm not the best at negotiating or explaining things, I’ve found that showing off my tamed monsters and magic is a much faster way to convince people and get things moving."
I explained how I’d run into trouble in the last town and nearly been detained. As they asked for more details, I recounted the whole ordeal. Personally, I considered the matter closed, but the four of them looked increasingly annoyed on my behalf.
"Anyone with real skill can read an opponent's strength without throwing a punch," Siber-san said, "but the world is mostly made of people who can't. I remember plenty of newcomers in the knights—especially those with just a bit of talent—who would constantly cause trouble because of that."
"People who can't judge their own strength usually pick fights based on looks alone," Remily-sama added. "I've seen it a thousand times. Those types never mess with anyone obviously stronger than them, so if you show off some power, they usually run. Give them one good wallop, and they won't come back."
"Exactly," I said. "I’ve started keeping Hobgoblins in my Space Magic storage. I give them imposing gear and bring them out whenever it looks like someone's going to doubt me. It drives most of the troublemakers away. There were a few who still wouldn't quit, but those were easy enough to handle in self-defense. It's rarely as bad as what happened at that guild branch."
In that sense, even the First Exam for my rank-up had been a bit of a relief.
"From the sound of it," Sebas-san noted, "the Guild Master there likely wanted to frame it as though he had performed due diligence by allowing you to take the exam, only to fail you based on a lack of actual skill. He wanted to ensure there was no negligence on his part."
"It's hard to be sure without hearing both sides," Reinbach-sama said, "but the treatment sounds incredibly rough. I understand needing to verify credentials, but jumping straight to threats of detention or expulsion is unacceptable."
"I told them repeatedly to check with other guilds where I have a record," I replied. "But they seemed convinced I’d just run away if they gave me any time. That was the most frustrating part."
If they hadn't been so stubborn, the disaster during the First Exam would never have happened.
"Disaster?" Remily-sama asked, her interest piqued. "Did something else happen?"
"The Dark Magic I used as a deterrent worked a little too well... The Examiner started screaming like he’d lost his mind. He was leaking... well, everything... from every possible hole while thrashing around until he fainted. It was total Pandemonium."
Recalling the Examiner's total breakdown, I found myself wondering if that’s what a failed SAN Check in a TRPG looked like in real life. It was a bizarre thought to escape into.
In the end, defeating the Examiner had proven my strength beyond doubt, but the atmosphere at the training grounds had turned toxic. Even when I went to the guild today, people were looking at me with pure terror. Honestly, given what they saw, I couldn't blame them.
"The First Exam wasn't even private—it was in the guild's public training grounds with a crowd watching. I probably should have just hit him with my fists..."
In a way, what I did was more cruel than killing him. He’d said some nasty things, but I still felt a twinge of guilt when I remembered the state I left him in.
"Well, I proved my strength and passed the Promotion Exam, so I suppose there's no real issue. I don't plan on using that guild branch again, and I doubt I'll ever see that Guild Master again either. He might send a hollow apology to the Ducal House once he realizes who I am, but I’ve left Reinhardt-san to handle that."
"Oh? Did you pull a little prank on them for revenge?" Remily-sama asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Not exactly. I just took a massive haul of materials and loot I’d gathered on my journey and sold it all to the Commerce Guild instead."
Selling loot is a major revenue stream for the Adventurer Guild. Most adventurers collect whatever they can to maximize their earnings and boost their rank points. I had a huge backlog of materials because of the trouble at the guild, so I took it all to the Commerce Guild.
Naturally, they asked questions: "Where did all this come from?" and "If you're an adventurer, why aren't you selling this at the Adventurer Guild?"
"I couldn't exactly lie," I said. "They're business partners, and I didn't feel like I was in the wrong, so I told them the whole story. I even told them they were welcome to verify the facts."
The Commerce Guild was very understanding. They even asked if I’d sell them the materials from my Second Exam. I couldn't commit to that since I didn't know how the Adventurer Guild would react, so I just told them, "I’ll consider it if I receive a proper apology from the Guild Master."
"So, in other words," Sebas-san observed, "no reconciliation could be reached unless you visited the Commerce Guild again."
"And I take it there was no apology?" Reinbach-sama asked.
"I didn't even see his face. Instead, a Receptionist tried to bow to me in front of a huge crowd at the counter, but I just told her I had no intention of demanding an apology."
"So you didn't say you forgave them," Remily-sama laughed. "You just didn't let them off the hook with a cheap bow."
"Remily-san, don't make it sound like I was plotting something. I truly didn't want a forced apology. That Receptionist had doubted me, sure, but she was just an employee following her superior's lead. I don't think she was the one at fault."
Maybe she just wanted me to go away quickly. When I told her I didn't want an apology, she stopped immediately, so I suppose I could technically claim I never received one.
But regardless, if an apology was going to happen, it should have come from the Guild Master himself. I wasn't asking for a public display or for him to grovel, but he could have at least met me in a private room—the same way they tried to pressure me into admitting fraud.
Instead, he stayed hidden and let a subordinate bow at the front desk. An apology like that has no sincerity or meaning. It’s not something I can trust, so I don't want it.
"If he wants to pretend everything is fine by making his subordinate apologize, that's his choice," I said. "But I have no idea how the people around him will judge that, and I'm not responsible for what happens to his reputation."
The guy had immediately folded and allowed me to take the exam the moment he heard I was a Ducal House Technician. People like that usually care more about their public image than their actual integrity. I suspect losing the respect of his peers will hurt him far more than any apology would have.
My added speculation brought a wry smile to everyone's face except Remily-sama, who seemed to be enjoying this.
"It will almost certainly damage his standing," Sebas-san agreed.
"The Commerce Guild has long ears," Reinbach-sama noted. "The story will travel."
"From what you’ve told us," Siber-san added, "you merely finished your business and left... but it certainly looks like a very calculated and stinging blow."
"Who cares?" Remily-sama shrugged. "If his side of the story is as solid as he thinks, he shouldn't have a problem."
"I don't have much to lose either," I added. "Except I can't really use my Adventurer Guild Card until I get back to Gimul. Just in case they tried to plant some false record of fraud on it, I want to be careful."
I have my Commerce Guild Card for town access, so it’s not a huge problem, but it means I can’t take any requests on the way back. It’s a bit of a shame since I just reached C-Rank, but it can wait.
"In that case, why not stop by the Teressa Adventurer Guild?" Sebas-san suggested. "A simple verification shouldn't take long."
"Oh, that's perfect," Remily-sama said. "It'll go a lot smoother if we vouch for your strength ourselves. Let's do that."
"The guild is near the gate," Siber-san added. "We can stop there before heading back to the inn."
"Then let's head back to town," Reinbach-sama decided.
"Eh? Ah, thank you so much!"
The plan had shifted rapidly to a visit to the Teressa Adventurer Guild, but with this group backing me, I didn't expect any trouble. Between the warm welcome, the inn arrangements, the duel, and the promise of magic lessons, I was being incredibly well-cared for.
I’ve met my share of difficult people lately, but I was reminded once again that there are many kind people in this world too. As that thought settled, the scenery shifted instantly—Sebas-san's Space Magic at work—and we were back at the city gates.