It's been a week since I arrived in this world. All I've done is hunt, hunt, and more hunting. The day after finishing the blue slime quest, I took another F-class subjugation request, but it felt way too easy. After that, I jumped straight to an E-class one.
"Congratulations, Mr. Kelvin! With the success of this request, you've been promoted to E-class adventurer!"
Ange beamed at me from behind the counter. Honestly, I didn't feel much accomplishment. A lot of E-class monsters—like orcs and kobolds—are pack hunters that rely on group tactics. But with my modern knowledge and Kuroto's absurd stats, they weren't even close to a challenge.
"I was worried when you took an E-class request so soon. Mr. Kelvin, you still haven't formed a party, right?"
It's not that I won't form one. I can't. The second I join a party, everyone will figure out I'm a summoner. Even without me in the party officially, I already have a ridiculously strong partner.
"Subordinates materialized through Summoning automatically join your party, so we've technically been teaming up the whole time."
In practice, no one sees it that way. From an outsider's perspective, a rookie mage who just registered is solo-clearing requests way above his rank. That's bound to draw attention.
"Weren't you planning to stay low-key?"
It got boring. Forgive me.
While I was having that mental back-and-forth with Melfina, Ange leaned over the counter toward me. Whoa, too close!
"Mr. Kelvin, were you maybe a court mage serving some country before?"
"Uh, sorry, I can't really talk about my past."
"It's against the rules to pry into an adventurer's background like that..."
Please keep thinking that way. I apologized silently in my head.
"But seriously, be careful. You're probably going to take a D-class request next, right?"
"Yeah, that's the plan."
No point lying. She'd see through it the moment I picked one.
"If it ever feels too dangerous, run away immediately. And Mr. Kelvin—your equipment hasn't changed at all since a week ago!"
Oh, right. I never upgraded anything. Can't keep being that reckless. Maybe it's time to use some of the reward money for repairs or better gear.
"Hahaha, got it. ...So, let's see those D-class requests."
"Well, for D-class..."
As Ange flipped through the request board, a man standing nearby spoke up.
"If you're looking at D-class, how about subjugating the Black Spirit Knight?"
"Black Spirit Knight?"
"Hey, Cashel, you're back!"
Who is this guy? I'd seen him around the guild a few times, but we'd never spoken. At first glance he looked like a refreshing blond handsome type, but something about him felt slimy.
"Hey, Ange-chan. Just got back."
"...Welcome back. How was the request?"
"Safe and sound, though the Lizardman nest gave me some trouble. Hahaha."
He flashed a wide grin at Ange, but her expression stiffened. The mood among the nearby adventurers turned noticeably gloomy.
"By the way, you just got promoted to E-class? Congrats from your senior adventurer!"
"Uh, thanks...?"
"Oops, haven't introduced myself. Name's Cashel. D-class adventurer."
He reeked of player vibes. The adventurers around us were murmuring quietly. I tuned in a little.
(He says it all the time—guy's got B-class skills, but his real hobby is crushing rookies.)
(He gets off on baiting newbies into taking D-class requests they can't handle.)
(Haha, no one's stronger than Cashel in this guild. We just pretend not to notice.)
The drinkers at the back bar kept their voices low. They were probably D-class too. The fact that even peers stayed silent said a lot.
"Next time, why don't you join my party to take down the Black Spirit Knight? How about it?"
"The request is D-rank, but the Black Spirit Knight is way stronger than average! Probably a subspecies. It's too dangerous for Mr. Kelvin!"
"Hahaha, Ange-chan, relax. Like I said, he cleared an E-class solo. With teamwork, it'll be safe."
"That's..."
Ange fell silent.
"I appreciate the offer, but I can't form a party."
"Don't be shy. Think of it as a valuable life experience."
This guy was persistent. I wasn't buying it. When Ange tried to intervene earlier, I took the chance to use Appraisal Eye on him. Cashel was dangerous.
=====================================
Cashel 25 years old Male Human Magic Swordsman
Level: 34
Title: Murderer
HP: 315/315
MP: 104/104
Strength: 156 (+20)
Durability: 131
Agility: 126
Mana: 102
Luck: 89
Skills:
Swordsmanship (B-Class)
Rigidity (E-Class)
White Magic (E-Class)
Stealth (E-Class)
Concealment (F-Class)
Speech (E-Class)
Auxiliary Effect: Concealment (F-Class)
=====================================
His stats rivaled Kuroto's. Disturbing skills too, but that title... "Murderer." No question—he had me targeted. Perfect timing.
"Well then, how about a little competition?"
"A competition?"
"Yeah. Let's see who can defeat the Black Spirit Knight first. I'll go solo, of course."
"Hey, hey, that's not smart. It's not something you can handle alone. Just join the party like I planned, okay?"
"Doesn't matter."
Fine. Let's walk right into the trap. Cashel's probably planning to ambush me during the fight, after the fight, or on the way back. Whether it's for the thrill of killing or to steal the reward, doesn't matter. He's the perfect test subject. Above all, I want to show off the results of this week's leveling and training. And there are a few things I want to try out.
"You really are a battle maniac."
Shut up.
"Hehe, full of confidence. I like it."
"Then let's make it official. Ange, please register the request for me."
"Keh... Mr. Kelvin..."
Ange looked like she was about to cry, but I couldn't back down now. Time to test my strength.