Days turned into weeks, but no matter how hard Rein tried, he couldn't find him, even with the Captain's skill. We couldn't pick up his trail. To narrow the search, we focused solely on information about second-tier adventurers, until that one moment.
"A new record!"
How did he reach the second tier in just three months?
Who is this guy? What family is he from?
"Uh… I don't know."
"How can you not know?"
"It's not usually something I keep track of. If you're really curious, you can just go to the guild and find out."
"Oh, right, let's go then."
"No, you go. I'm too old for that sort of thing."
"What! You just want to hit the bars, don't you?"
"And if I do? What's it to ya…? Where are you rushing off to? We'll see each other later, anyway."
Sitting at the nearby table, Rein could scarcely believe what he'd just overheard. Something that had taken him years, someone else had managed in mere months. Even his idol, whom he admired greatly, only reached the second tier after a year. Jumping up, Rein headed straight for the guild, wanting to confirm the information for himself.
Huh?
Rein was stunned, not just by the confirmation, but by the fact that this particular adventurer bore a striking resemblance to the one who had attacked them. Grinding his teeth, he fought hard to suppress his rising hatred.
"Calm down, calm down, it could just be a coincidence," he thought, trying to regain control of his anger. But recalling the pain etched on Albert's face, he couldn't calm down; his rage and loathing only intensified.
"I have to find him. Get a good look at him. Then I'll know for sure if it's him or not."
He had to tell the Captain. For the first time in their search, they had a viable suspect. He didn't hesitate.
Some time later, when he'd finally calmed down, Rein realized something: if this really was the same adventurer, there was something he couldn't wrap his head around.
According to the Captain, the assailant had kept pace with him. That would mean he had to be at least at the second tier. But this guy was first tier. A first-tier adventurer, fighting on par with a peak second-tier adventurer, even while seriously wounded.
"How is that even possible?" Rein remembered sparring with the Captain back when he himself was first tier. He couldn't do a damn thing, no matter how hard he tried, even when no weapons were involved, and even with the Captain handicapping himself. He couldn't land a single blow, no matter what he tried.
That was when he learned that the difference between levels was vast, like the distance from the ground to the sky. Maybe this guy was using some kind of magic to overcome the power gap. But he quickly dismissed the thought. If that were really the case, he wasn't human anymore; he was a monster.
It didn't take Rein long to find the Captain; he was, as usual, in his room.
"Captain! Captain!"
"Huh?"
"I think I've found him. The guy."
"Kopii?"
"Huh?…Yeah… What?"
"When I saw the report, I also thought it might be him. But I didn't feel the same…sense…as I did back then."
"…So it's not him?"
"I don't know. You're overestimating my skill. It's not foolproof. Intelligent beings can change quickly. Someone who hates everything today might love everyone tomorrow. Get it?"
"Got it."
Rein approached the table and sat down opposite the Captain, meeting his gaze. "You've seen his face in person. Does he look like him?"
"…"
"If you want my opinion, Captain… I think he looks close enough. The best match we've had, anyway. But I'm not certain. I got knocked out of the fight too quickly. You fought him from start to finish."
"Ninety percent."
"What ninety percent?"
"I'm ninety percent certain it's him. The same adventurer who attacked us."
"If you say so, Captain, then that's good enough for me… What's the plan?"
"We find out everything we can about him… If it turns out to be a false alarm, then no harm done. One less suspect in the pile."
Rein waited with anticipation, eager to watch him suffer. He'd turn Kopii's life into a living hell, imagining him crawling on his knees and begging for death. A predatory smile crept across his face as he relished the thought.
It took Rein a week to learn almost everything about Kopii: his fighting style, his food preferences. The surveillance was definitely cutting into Rein's own training, but he wasn't sorry. Of course, he couldn't keep tabs on Kopii twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
And when Rein went out to find Kopii again, the guy had seemingly vanished. Rein felt like he knew where Kopii was, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't quite remember it. So he spent a whole day searching, but it was all useless. He couldn't pick up the slightest trace of him.
Two weeks of fruitless searching went by.
"Maybe he died in a dungeon? What do you think, Captain?"
"Well, we can't rule it out. Or he went back to his village. Anything's possible."
"Ow! Hot! Why hasn't it cooled down yet?" Rein said, taking a sip of his coffee. "And it's bitter too. Captain, do you actually like this stuff?"
"…Everyone has their own tastes… Let's just assume he's dead. Of course, it's a shame all our efforts went to waste. But who knows? Maybe it's for the best."
Downing the last of his coffee, Rein left the Captain's room with mixed emotions. On one hand, he was glad that Kopii was dead, but on the other, he was disappointed that his time had been wasted. Every day, he'd imagined how he'd torment Kopii, dreaming up the most elaborate forms of torture. But now that would all just remain a fantasy.
"Ah, what a shame."
A couple of days later, as Rein sat drinking cup after cup, he saw something he never expected to see again. A familiar build, dark hair…
"Nah, probably just someone who looks like him. Or…maybe…"
Squinting, he scrutinized the stranger's back. Maybe it really was the guy who attacked them. When the stranger turned around, their eyes met for a split second. Rein's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Kopii?"
The man he'd presumed to be dead was walking somewhere. Rein froze, not knowing what to do. But deep down, a wave of hatred and anticipation welled up inside him.
"You can't escape your destiny. Heh heh."
Leaving his food unfinished, he rushed after him. What he saw next shocked him even more.
"What? The Sword Princess? What's she doing here?"
The woman he'd admired with all his heart. She hadn't even looked in his direction when he'd confessed his feelings. Now, acting like it was nothing, she was chatting with that kid. The sight fueled his hatred to an unimaginable degree.
"Why? What does she see in him that she doesn't see in me?" His jealousy and loathing grew with each passing second as he watched the Sword Princess's intense gaze fixed on Kopii.
All her attention was focused on one person, and it wasn't him. It drove him up the wall. But even so, he knew that giving in to anger now wouldn't do any good, and as they took their stances, he almost completely regained his composure.
He eagerly looked forward to the upcoming spar. His focus was entirely on the Sword Princess, her beautiful face that even the gods envied, her gorgeous hair, and her stunning figure. She was the very embodiment of beauty.
He'd already forgotten why he was there in the first place. He was completely mesmerized by her.
"They're starting… I wonder how long…"
But before Rein could finish the thought, he saw Kopii collapse, unconscious, not even lasting a second. Well, he knew the outcome of this fight from the start. He even took some pleasure in seeing him hit the ground.
Kopii probably thought he could put up more of a fight, because he's so talented and special. But he's just useless trash who'll always be crawling on his knees.
"Wait, where is she taking him?" Rein thought, starting to follow them. But he couldn't hope to match her speed. Before long, he'd lost her completely. Envy and hatred washed over him once again.