Pant... Pant...
Gasping for breath.
Samuel ran toward the cave exit, carrying Marlin on his back. Jemina and Tom followed close behind him.
"Nngh..."
Marlin groaned every time his feet hit the ground.
"Marlin, just hang in there a little longer. We're almost out."
The cave was large, but not very deep.
At this pace, we should see the entrance soon.
Just as Samuel predicted, after running a little further, they saw the boundary where the cave's darkness met the sunlight. Even after exiting the cave, Samuel didn't stop running.
He only stopped when he reached the bushes in front of the cave.
"Samuel! Why are you stopping?!"
"I need to stop Marlin's bleeding and treat her wound. If we don't, she'll suffer later."
He had once seen an adventurer who was bedridden for a week because of a shallow cut.
When his condition worsened, he went to see a cleric, who told him he'd gotten an infection through the wound. The cleric had warned him that if you couldn't use a potion or get a heal right after being injured, it was best to treat the wound quickly.
And Marlin's injury was far more severe than that adventurer's.
Even with the risk of being pursued, it was better to treat it immediately.
Samuel took some crushed herbs and a bandage from his bag. He spread the herbs evenly over the wound and wrapped it with the bandage.
While he worked, Jemina and Tom kept watch on the cave.
"...Brother. Do you think Cloud will be okay? Shouldn't we go back for him now?"
"Yeah, Samuel. He's a B-rank, right? He took down those two hobgoblins so easily. If we help him, we could kill all those goblins."
Jemina and Tom spoke to Samuel as he administered first aid.
Both of them felt a pang of guilt for running away and leaving Cloud behind.
But Samuel's reply was firm.
"Absolutely not. You saw how many goblins there were. Going back in there is suicide."
"But..."
"No buts! I said no!"
When Samuel shouted, not only Jemina and Tom but also Marlin, who had been quietly receiving treatment, flinched in surprise.
Seeing their reaction, Samuel let out a deep sigh.
"Yes, Tom, you're right. Cloud took care of two hobgoblins in an instant. But that was only because it was a surprise attack. If dozens of goblins charge at him head-on, even a B-rank adventurer is helpless."
"That's why we have to help him...!"
"And if we go? What can we do?"
His pointed question silenced Tom and Jemina.
Excluding the injured Marlin, there were three of them who could fight.
And of those three, two were rookie adventurers on their first commission, and the other was a D-rank who had just shed his rookie status.
They didn't have the power to change the tide of an unfavorable battle.
Feeling helpless and guilty, Tom and Jemina hung their heads.
Samuel finished tying the knot on the bandage and patted their shoulders.
"Don't feel guilty. He could have escaped with us, but he chose to charge into that goblin horde. It was his choice, not our fault..."
Samuel couldn't finish his sentence.
He saw someone about to emerge from the cave.
At first, he thought it was a goblin.
But the figure that slowly came into view was too large to be a goblin.
"Brother?"
Puzzled by Samuel's sudden silence, Tom and Jemina turned their heads.
And they, too, froze on the spot.
"What is it? What's wrong? Did a goblin come out?"
Leaning against a tree, Marlin struggled to her feet. She turned her gaze to where the other three were looking.
Her eyes widened.
It wasn't a goblin that came out of the cave, but Cloud. He was casually walking out, holding four hobgoblin heads in his arms. He glanced around, and upon spotting them, he approached with a smirk.
"I thought you'd have run far away, but you're here? Good. Each of you take a head and carry it."
Cloud offered the hobgoblin heads to the three uninjured party members.
But they just stared at him with blank expressions.
"What are you doing? Not taking them? Honestly, if you have any conscience, you should."
Cloud grumbled, but his words didn't register with them. Their minds were filled with a single question.
"How...?"
"Hm?"
"How did you get out...?" Samuel's voice was filled with disbelief.
Cloud tilted his head and spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I killed them all, so I came out. What else is there?"
"What kind of..."
...ridiculous nonsense is that?
The words rose to his throat, but he had to swallow them back down.
Cloud's body was covered in dark red blood.
Logically, no human could lose that much blood and still be alive, so it was reasonable to assume it was the goblins' blood.
'...He really killed them all?'
All those goblins?
A B-rank adventurer?
"...I have to see for myself."
Samuel sprinted toward the cave.
"Brother?!"
"Samuel?!"
"Wait, I'm coming too!"
"Hey! I told you to carry the heads! Where are you going?!"
He ignored the voices calling from behind. Wanting to confirm if Cloud's words were true, Samuel ran without stopping.
And then he saw it.
The headless corpses of four hobgoblins and the bodies of dozens of goblins strewn across the floor.
Everything he said was true.
"Brother! Why did you run so fast... Hic?!"
He heard Jemina, who had followed him, gasp in horror.
Tom and Marlin, who arrived a moment later, had the same reaction.
The scene was that gruesome, littered with entrails, severed limbs, and corpses.
The three of them stood frozen, speechless, until Cloud arrived.
"Hey! There's nothing else to grab. Don't expect any loot from these goblin bastards. Hurry up and go carry the hobgoblin heads."
Cloud's voice came from behind them.
Samuel couldn't turn around.
'Those crazy bastards at the guild. How is he a B-rank adventurer...'
Unable to overcome his fear, he squeezed his eyes shut.
"Um..."
He heard Marlin's voice.
Samuel's heart sank. He remembered how Marlin had been particularly snarky toward Cloud.
'Oh no, Marlin! Don't you dare piss him off! We'll all die!'
Samuel whipped his head around.
He was about to rush over and clamp a hand over Marlin's mouth, but...
"I-I'm sorry..."
There was no need.
Leaning on Tom for support, Marlin was bowing her head deeply to Cloud, apologizing.
"Hm?"
"I-I'm sorry for being so rude on the way here. And for getting excited and running ahead and falling into the trap, and... for running away and leaving you... I-I'm sorry... I won't do it again..."
Samuel could see Marlin's face as she bowed. She was on the verge of tears, her expression filled with terror.
*
The commission Samuel's party had accepted made no mention of hobgoblins. It certainly didn't mention the presence of dozens of goblins.
Therefore, as soon as he returned to the city, Samuel had to report the anomaly to the guild's branch manager.
"Well then, I'll be on my way."
"Safe travels."
After finishing his report, Samuel bowed once and left the reception room. Watching him leave, Walter sank back into his chair and let out a deep sigh.
"What do you think?"
Walter asked his secretary, Rikel, who was sitting beside him.
"What do I think about what, sir?"
"About what that kid said. Do you think it's true?"
"Well, the exchange office confirmed the hobgoblin heads were real. They said four heads were exchanged for money."
"I see..."
Walter closed his eyes for a moment, mulling over what the young adventurer had said.
—At first, I thought he only got the first two because of the surprise attack. We had an escape route, so I was just going to take Marlin and run. But Mr. Cloud, far from escaping, started walking toward the goblin horde. I thought he was insane. How could he possibly handle that many...
Yes, we ran away and left him.
You can call us cowards, but we couldn't help it. We wanted to live.
We were hiding in the bushes in front of the cave, giving Marlin first aid.
Then a figure appeared from the cave and slowly revealed itself.
Yes, that's right. It was Mr. Cloud.
He was covered in blood, but strangely, aside from a few minor scratches, he was almost unharmed.
When I asked him what happened, he just casually said he killed them all.
At first, I thought it was absurd... but when I went inside the cave to check, I had no choice but to admit that Mr. Cloud's words were true.
The hobgoblins and dozens of goblins were all brutally killed.
Samuel had shaken his head, saying he didn't know anything more. Since they had fled, he hadn't seen how Cloud fought.
He could only guess from Cloud's condition and the gruesome scene that he had won an overwhelming victory.
"Branch Manager. Is it possible for a single B-rank to kill four hobgoblins and dozens of goblins?"
"Impossible."
There was a reason why fighting against multiple opponents was so difficult.
For every move you make, several attacks come at you simultaneously.
That was why adventurers formed parties instead of moving alone.
Unless there was an overwhelming difference in power, no one was immune to the power of numbers.
This case was no different.
Level 17.
That was about the level of a seasoned guard in a kingdom's city.
Not weak by any means, but not exactly strong either.
Of course, he would be stronger than a hobgoblin, which was at best around level 10.
He might even be able to handle two of them alone.
But facing dozens of goblins was another story entirely.
If that were possible for a single person, the continent wouldn't be plagued by monsters, and the Adventurer's Guild would never have been created.
"For an ordinary B-rank, that is."
But Cloud had done it.
Therefore, he was no ordinary B-rank adventurer.
"So you're saying he's not ordinary?"
"That's right. In my opinion, that kid was properly trained by someone. He probably finished his harsh training and just came out into the world to get some experience. That would explain his low level."
"Trained, you say...?"
At Rikel's questioning tone, Walter shrugged.
"Who else but a knight could be capable of something like that?"
A knight.
A human weapon raised from childhood through all sorts of arduous and systematic training.
They were not bound by levels.
They bridged the gap in levels with skill.
They were not bound by numbers.
They were overwhelmingly strong.
At the word "knight," Rikel swallowed nervously.
"A knight... Then shouldn't we raise Mr. Cloud's rank?"
"No. Just leave it. He probably wouldn't like that kind of special treatment. Just change his evaluation a little. So that he can raise his rank whenever he wants."
"...Yes, sir."
"Now, go on and get back to work. I'm going to sit here for a bit before I head out."
After Rikel left the room, Walter recalled his first meeting with Cloud.
'No wonder he had such a commanding presence for someone so young.'
He's playing in a different league than me.
He chuckled, then remembered his own actions toward Cloud.
The attempt to intimidate him with a handshake, the condescending tone—all of it.
'...I hope he doesn't hold a grudge against me, does he?'
A single drop of cold sweat trickled down his back.
*
Killing the goblins helped me understand how this "level" system worked.
'It shaves off a piece of the soul.'
It takes a small piece of a dead being's soul and absorbs it into my own body. When a certain amount of soul fragments accumulate in the body, the body is then strengthened.
I suppose absorbing these soul fragments is what they call "experience points," and the strengthening of the body that results from their accumulation is what they call "leveling up."
If that's the case, then what I need to do from now on is simple.
I just have to kill every monster I come across to level up. Once I've leveled up enough, I can go farm for equipment.
But there's something I need to do before that.
"Welcome. Are you here to join the Swordsmanship Guild?"
The place I was visiting was the Swordsmanship Guild, a place in the game where you could pay money to learn sword techniques.
"No, I'm just here to learn."
The god who brought me, Cloud, to this place probably had no idea who I used to be.
If it knew, it wouldn't have thought of dragging me into its dimension.
Not unless it was completely insane.
So, it probably thinks I'm just some transmigrator who's played a lot of games.
Shouldn't I act the part, then?
Well... the day will probably come when I have to use the skills from my previous world.
But if such a situation doesn't arise, there's no need for me to go out of my way to show my hand.
That's why I came to the Swordsmanship Guild—to learn the techniques of this world.
The goblins' attacks were simple enough to see, dodge, and stab, but the enemies I face from now on might require actual skills.
"Learning is good! Our Swordsmanship Guild is always open to those who seek knowledge. However, learning always comes at a price..."
I took out a money pouch containing 2500 gold and showed it to him.
2000 gold was what was left after giving Lina 3000, and the other 500 was what I earned from the goblin commission. Originally, the 500 gold was supposed to be split five ways, but Samuel stubbornly refused to take his share, so I ended up with all of it.
He looked at the heavy pouch and smiled with satisfaction.
"It seems our customer is prepared to learn. Please follow me. I will guide you to the instructor."
I followed the man who offered to guide me.
Inside the guild, the sound of clashing metal was incessant; it seemed the guild members were sparring with each other.
"The instructor is in here."
He said, opening the back door of the guild.
Beyond the door was a training yard surrounded by a white wall. There, about six people were mimicking the movements of a middle-aged man.
The man who guided me walked toward the middle-aged man.
"Instructor Rick."
"What is it, Jack? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"A customer has come seeking to learn."
"Oh? Let's see. Are you the customer?"
The middle-aged man wiped his sweat and looked at me. When I nodded, he turned to the six trainees and said.
"I'll be gone for a moment. Until I return, practice forms one through eight without stopping."
—"Yes, sir!"
"You. Follow me."
The middle-aged man led me inside the building. There was a space inside the guild, not as large as the training yard, but big enough to swing a sword.
"What do you wish to learn?"
"What is there?"
"Double Strike, 300 gold. Parrying, 500 gold. Wolf Slayer, 1000 gold."
Oh. This is exactly like the game system.
"Then I'll learn all of them."
At my words, the instructor's eyebrow twitched.
"You'll learn all of them?"
"Yes. I have the money, so don't worry. Please, show me the demonstration."
I tossed the money pouch, minus 700 gold, to the instructor.
*
Rick.
Now approaching fifty, he had been a wandering knight in his youth, roaming the continent.
Nobles and other knights looked down on him, saying he was no different from a wandering mercenary, but he took pride in his sword.
Right now, however, he was not in a good mood.
It was because of the brat who had come in as a "customer."
With a face like a pretty boy, he must be some young master born into a well-to-do family.
That must be why he could speak with such arrogance.
'Learn all of them? Ha! Does he think money can buy everything...'
This was the problem with rich young masters.
They think handling a sword is as easy as lying down in their own bedroom.
The reality was that you had to work until your calluses peeled off just to be able to protect yourself.
'Tsk... Still, I have to make money.'
It took money to maintain the guild, of course.
That was the reason why he, a man with great pride in his sword, couldn't just kick out this arrogant brat.
He forced a smile and handed a wooden sword to Cloud.
"Alright. Learning everything is good. Let's start with Double Strike first."
Rick took a wooden sword and got into a stance. With a sharp cry, he swung the sword.
"Hah!"
The wooden sword swung high.
With a twist of his wrist, the sword struck again from the opposite direction.
It was a technique that used the movement of the wrist to attack twice in rapid succession. Of course, the power was slightly less than a normal swing, but the advantage of Double Strike was being able to attack twice.
He looked at Cloud with a triumphant expression.
'He probably didn't even see it properly.'
To an ignorant beginner, it would have felt like something that was over in a flash.
"Well? Think you can copy that?"
"Yes."
Cloud assumed the exact same stance Rick had taken. Seeing this, Rick inwardly scoffed at him.
'As if he can do it just by seeing it once. He'll need to practice for at least a week...'
Whoosh. Whoosh.
The sound of the sword cutting through the air.
Rick's jaw dropped. Cloud had perfectly replicated his movements.
'No... How did he do that in one try...'
As Rick stood there, stunned, Cloud spoke calmly.
"Was that correct?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah... Good job."
"Then please show me the next technique."
"R-Right."
Rick raised his wooden sword.
Alright, so he knows how to use a sword a little.
But this next one won't be so easy.
"Parrying is deflecting an opponent's attack. It's significant not only because it stops their attack but also because it creates an opening. Swing your sword at me once."
Cloud swung his wooden sword at Rick. Rick used the flat of his blade to twist Cloud's attack away.
"This is parrying. Well, deflecting is something you can do when you're skilled. For a beginner, it's better to knock the attack aside rather than deflect it."
"Understood."
"It's better to try it yourself than to just watch. I will swing my sword at you. Watch carefully and knock it away."
Rick swung his wooden sword down at Cloud, who was in a ready stance. He put more force into it than was necessary for teaching a parry.
'Let's see if he can do this in one try, too!'
Such a childish thought was in Rick's mind.
Seeing Rick's strike, Cloud moved. By the time Rick realized what was happening, his wooden sword was already hitting the ground.
'Huh...?'
Before he could even process his surprise, Cloud spoke.
"Please teach me the next technique."
"..."
In the end, Cloud learned all three techniques in just under ten minutes and left.
After he was gone, Rick had to endure the puzzled stares of his disciples, who wondered why he had returned so soon.
The crack in his pride was just an added bonus.