Chapter 73

“Wh-wha!?”

I was the first to cry out.

Following my lead, the other members began demanding a detailed explanation, their voices thick with similar disbelief.

“Wait, wait. Palinchron, the joke has gone too far.”

“How on earth does one suddenly become the Guild Master out of nowhere?”

I was in complete agreement with them. It sounded like nothing more than a bad prank. However, Palinchron’s face remained as composed as ever.

“Kanami is the ‘Hero’ chosen by myself and Rail, the sub-masters. As originally planned, the vacant top spot of ‘Epic Seeker’ will be filled by Kanami, our Hero.”

And so, for the second time, he declared that he was installing me as the leader—the Master. He even went so far as to use the hyperbolic title of “Hero.”

“Hey, are you sane…?”

Realizing that Palinchron wasn’t joking, the atmosphere chilled instantly. The giant swordsman standing at the front of the members glared at Palinchron as he asked the question. While the air grew so tense it felt ready to burst, Palinchron replied in an even more amused tone.

“Kanami is strong, and he has a good personality. Above all, he has the quality of a Hero. Therefore, it is only natural to make him Guild Master. Anyone with a complaint can feel free to be knocked flat by him. Instead of an exam, we’re going to have a round-robin battle right now.”

Palinchron’s provocation caused the members’ bloodlust to spike. Everyone directed an extraordinary pressure toward Palinchron and me. Unable to endure the weight radiating from these seasoned veterans, I shouted at Palinchron.

“Palinchron! What are you saying!? Are you an idiot!? Are you actually stupid!?”

Seeing me object in my state of confusion, I felt some of the pressure ease slightly. Then, a calm-looking woman stepped forward to voice her opinion.

“I acknowledge his talent. I can see that the boy is clearly capable. He may indeed have the caliber to stand above us in the future. But doing it right now is beyond reckless, Palinchron.”

“A guild isn’t going to function properly under a Master who was forced into the position…”

Each of them likely judged that this was heading toward violence. They tried to persuade Palinchron with logic to get him to reconsider. However, Palinchron wouldn’t hear a word of it.

“We ‘Epic Seekers’ have always been reckless, and I think you lot will listen in the end anyway. Because Kanami is exactly the person we’ve been waiting for.”

That was the final word. Realizing Palinchron had no intention of backing down, those who were trying to have a rational conversation sighed and stepped back. Inevitably, the only ones left nearby were those with short tempers.

“Don’t glare at me like that. If you can land even a single scratch on Kanami during this round-robin battle, I’ll reconsider.”

Palinchron pushed for the battle to begin. It was typical of him not to forget a further provocation while he was at it.

“You said it…”

“Don’t underestimate us.”

“Don’t blame us if you die.”

The guild members left behind ominous parting shots as they moved back to give us space. As members of the organization, they wouldn’t go against the decision of their superior, Palinchron. However, it was clear they intended to vent their frustration during the battle.

I had braced myself for an exam, but this development was completely unexpected. I was the only one who hadn’t given up, continuing to try and persuade Palinchron.

“Palinchron, I haven’t agreed to this! The guild members are right! Becoming Guild Master all of a sudden is crazy!”

“Eh? Didn’t you say you’d join the guild?”

“No, no! That meant becoming a guild member!”

“I never said a word about making you a member. I’ve been talking this whole time with the intention of having you be the Master.”

“That’s a scam!”

“That’s a bit harsh; I haven’t told a single lie. Though, people do call me a scammer quite often.”

Palinchron didn’t seem to care in the slightest, brushing off my persuasion. At the same time, he proceeded with the preparations for the battle. Using the scabbard of his sword, he drew lines in the sand to create a makeshift field. Once finished, he turned back to me. Then, with the most serious expression I had seen all day, he implored me.

“Kanami, please. Be the Guild Master. This much is nothing. It isn’t even a ‘Trial’ yet.”

Surprised by his earnest tone, I found myself at a loss for words. Since I had wanted to repay my debt in some way, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse when he made a genuine request. I let out a sigh, much like the calm guild members from before, and nodded reluctantly.

“Sigh… Fine. I’ll do the round-robin. But after it’s over, if the guild members aren’t convinced, you have to withdraw this idea.”

“Right. That sounds like a fair compromise. But don’t you dare go easy on them, okay?”

“It would be rude to them, so I won’t… probably…”

Seeing that I had given up, Palinchron brought over a sword from the edge of the training ground that appeared to be for practice. He tossed it to me. Catching the sword, I muttered under my breath.

“—Magic: [Dimensional Winter].”

I deployed my specialty magic and, hardening my resolve, stepped into the makeshift field. However, looking at the members waiting with veins popping on their foreheads, my feelings of gloom persisted.

“I would have preferred administrative work… filing papers or something…”

Spilling a dream that would likely never come true, I looked up at the clear sky and drew the sword from its sheath.

The first match was against a hot-blooded girl swordsman. The youngest of the members, she had told the leaders, “There’s no need for you to step out!” before entering the field.

I used [Focus] to check the status of the girl carrying a rapier.

As always, [Focus] was a cheating ability. Even if it only allowed me to see the statuses of people and things from this world, it was still a total cheat. I grasped her strength and took a relaxed stance with my sword. She was an opponent I could likely handle even if I deactivated all my magic. Her physical abilities were well-rounded for her level, but there was nothing noteworthy about them.

“Alright, first match—begin!!”

Simultaneously with Palinchron’s signal, the girl charged. For now, as promised, I responded without holding back. To avoid hurting her hands, I used the tip of my sword to tap and deflect the base of the hilt of the sword she swung. At the same time, I swept her legs and snatched her sword out of the air with my left hand. Holding a sword in each hand, I immediately pointed them at her as she fell.

This was checkmate. The gap in speed and technique was simply too large. Disarming her had been easy.

“E-eh? What happened—wait, what?”

“I take it this counts as my win?”

Leaving behind the girl who had no idea what had occurred, I declared my victory.

“Yeah, no matter how you look at it, that’s Kanami’s win. Right, next!”

Palinchron acknowledged my declaration and prompted the next person in a light tone. However, the expressions of the surrounding members were heavy and grim. Having seen a glimpse of my true ability, they realized this was no ordinary situation. Predicting how the rest of the matches would go, I felt a wave of gloom as I took the girl’s hand to help her up.

“Are you okay?”

“Eh, ah, yeah. I’m… okay.”

Dazed, the girl stood up as I pulled her hand. She likely finally understood that she had lost. She stared intently at my face and let a few words slip.

“S-so this is the ‘Hero’ Palinchron chose…?”

For some reason, her words were strangely feverish. I felt a chill run down my spine, so I used [Dimension: Gladiate] to dodge her gaze and quickly moved away from her. I felt determined to finish the round-robin quickly and waited in the field for the next opponent.

The next opponent was also a woman. Since levels and mana existed in this world, there wasn’t much of a gender gap in combat ability. However, it was true that it was harder to point a sword at them, so my honest preference would have been a man.

From both her status and her outfit, it was clear she was a pure mage. Despite being a magic class, her physical abilities were on par with the swordsman from before. This woman, Teiri, was undoubtedly one of the top-ranking members. Having watched my fight with the girl, she seemed to have judged that I wasn’t an opponent she could hold back against. In fact, Teiri had convinced the others who were trying to challenge me with a single word and was now standing in the field.

However, with these stats, it would be difficult for her to even touch me. It was simply a bad matchup. If she had known my abilities, it might have been a good fight, but it would be impossible on the first try.

“Alright, begin!”

At Palinchron’s shout, I approached Teiri. In response, she tried to construct a spell to settle the match before I could get close. However, that construction was shifted out of alignment by [Dimension Winter]. As a result, the magic she activated amounted to nothing more than a slightly gusty, fully dissipated breeze.

“What!? My magic—!”

I placed my sword against the surprised Teiri’s neck.

“Um… do you want to keep going?”

“…I surrender.”

With a deeply serious expression, Teiri acknowledged her defeat. As she left the field, she spoke with the giant swordsman.

“What happened? Hey. Were you unable to use magic?”

“He has a powerful interference ability… That’s all I can tell from that brief moment.”

After exchanging information, the giant swordsman entered the field. He, too, silenced the other members with a single word before stepping in. From that, I could tell he was a person with considerable influence.

His name was Vorzak.

From what I could see, he was the highest-level person among the challengers. Judging by the looks from those around him, his position was likely that of a highly trusted veteran swordsman. He possessed enough dignified presence to make that clear.

Vorzak took a stance with an exceptionally large longsword held across his back and spoke to me.

“Sorry, but I’m going all out. It’s not that I have anything against you personally. Rather, for your sake, I’m going to take the win here. Suddenly becoming the Guild Master is bound to cause friction, after all.”

Contrary to his appearance as a scarred giant, his words were mild and kind-hearted. Looking closely at his status, his intelligence was about the same as the mage from before. I could tell he was a rational individual.

I gave a light bow and responded.

“You’re a kind person. Thank you.”

I felt grateful to Vorzak for showing this much consideration toward a newcomer whose first impression could be called the absolute worst. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have been able to complain even if the whole group had ganged up on me.

“Sigh… I’d welcome you with open arms if it weren’t for that damn Sub-Master’s reckless demands.”

Vorzak grumbled about Palinchron while closing the distance. Matching his movement, Palinchron happily declared, “Begin!”

Vorzak dashed forward.

His speed was mismatched with his massive frame. I fell into the sensation of being attacked by a giant four-legged beast. Vorzak swung his greatsword in a horizontal arc.

If I took that with my sword, my weapon alone would likely shatter. Judging so, I pulled back and let it pass just in front of my nose.

“Tch, you dodged that!?”

Vorzak swung his sword like a storm, trying to crush my own blade. I felt no sense of him holding back. For an ordinary person, it was a savage sword that would cause instant death upon impact. However, I didn’t feel even a shred of bloodlust.

Vorzak was attacking because he had judged that I could handle it. It was proof that he recognized me as someone beyond the ordinary.

In that moment, I felt that this was the right time.

Before starting, I had thought I would sustain at least a scratch if my opponents were experienced professionals. However, at this rate, I was really going to win against everyone without a single injury. Taking a wound against this man and ending it there was just right for an exam result.

I had completely shut out Teiri, who was likely a top-class mage, and had my strength acknowledged by Vorzak, who was likely the highest level here—the proof of my ability to join the guild should have been sufficient.

I had fulfilled my minimum obligation to Palinchron. I could repay the debt another time. Having reached that conclusion within myself, I selected the magic for the task.

“I’ll add a little magic. Magic: [Foam].”

To orchestrate taking a scratch, I used bubble-based dimensional magic.

“Tch.”

Vorzak clicked his tongue at the sight. However, he didn’t flinch and maintained his offensive regardless.

“I’ll crush you, underhanded tricks and all!”

While the magical bubbles adhered to him, Vorzak increased his speed even further, swinging his sword. However, the attached bubbles conveyed the information of his sword’s trajectory to me with even greater accuracy.

While dodging the sword, I accurately grasped Vorzak’s habits and read the path his blade would take next. I concentrated my mind as if compressing time. I processed in my brain the iron sword approaching millimeter by millimeter as it tore through the air. Matching that, I moved my own body millimeter by millimeter.

And then, I let Vorzak’s sword graze my cheek by a hair’s breadth. The skin was thinly sliced, and a thin line of blood trickled down.

“Ah… It grazed me…”

Confirming the graze, I pulled back and drew attention to the wound on my cheek. Palinchron had said, “If you land even a single scratch.” I utilized that statement to appeal for the end of this round-robin battle.

Seeing this, Vorzak gritted his teeth in frustration, let out a long breath, and answered calmly.

“…No, you can count that last one as a ‘no-contest.’ It’s my complete loss.”

Vorzak acknowledged his defeat in a few short words. Then, he turned his back and left the field.

He might have realized that I took the hit on purpose. I had intended to stage a perfect close match, but it seemed it didn’t pass muster before an experienced swordsman. I had meant not to wound his pride, but I might have ended up wounding it deeply instead. However, for the sake of my future life here, I couldn’t simply defeat everyone unilaterally. I hoped he would forgive me.

“Alright, Kanami wins!”

Palinchron happily declared my victory. In response, I tried to speak—

“Palinchron, you said if I took even a single scratch, it would be over. With this—”

“That kid! He’s really something if Palinchron is bragging about him!!”

My words were cut off by one of the members. Following that, voices rose one after another from many of the others.

“This looks interesting. I’ll go next.”

“No, me!”

“The leaders both defeated? Fascinating.”

Having finished three matches, for some reason, the training ground was heating up. Perhaps there were many bellicose people here to begin with. However, more than that, the way they looked at me was somehow strange.

Pointing at the rising tension of the members, Palinchron laughed.

“A guild is a place where people make a living out of violence. There’s no way it ends just because you took one little scratch, right? That was just a provocation.”

Many members sided with Palinchron’s words.

“Yeah! It can’t end yet! I haven’t challenged him yet!”

“What are you saying over a scratch like that? Of course we’re fighting as long as we can still fight.”

“Hey, can I go next? Please.”

Looking at the blood-pumped members, my face twitched. Then, Vorzak’s voice rang out.

“Wait, you lot! Glen’s little sister—you go first!”

The name “Glen’s little sister” was called out, and everyone’s gaze turned toward the demi-human girl who had been resting in the distance—Snow.

The training ground went quiet for a moment, and in that interval, Snow answered while shaking her head slightly.

“…No. There’s no way I can win.”

Hearing that, Vorzak asked back with a serious expression.

“Are you serious?”

“…Yes, I’m serious.”

“I see…”

With that, Vorzak sat down in a random spot. Then, he urged the members to challenge me.

“Do whatever you want, you lot. I’ll just watch from here.”

Vorzak gave up and started watching the matches. I had hoped he would stop them, but it seemed he had no intention of doing so. Not a single other person tried to intervene.

Palinchron, still smiling, pushed for the continuation of the round-robin. The members decided on an order for their challenges and entered the field with high spirits. I had no choice but to defeat the members one after another as things unfolded.

In the end, I wasn’t able to lose on purpose. Vorzak was watching with sharp eyes, and even Palinchron would interject if there was any obvious holding back. All I could do was stack layers of restraint upon restraint so things would end peacefully.

“—That’s the end! So, the Master of the guild ‘Epic Seeker’ is officially Kanami!”

And so, after winning against almost everyone without a scratch, Palinchron declared my appointment as Guild Master without hesitation.

“Palinchron, let me go one more time! I feel like I can touch him next time!”

“No, no. It’s already dark, and time is finite.”

Several members spoke up, but Palinchron forcibly ended the round-robin. Afterward, he finished up some routine administrative announcements and dismissed everyone. Before leaving the training ground, the members each said a word to me.

“Man, you’re strong, Kanami. Let me challenge you again privately tomorrow.”

“Eh? …Uh, sure, okay.”

I answered the man who spoke to me so familiarly, feeling bewildered.

“Don’t be so stiff, Kanami. I don’t need honorifics or formal speech.”

“Thanks… I understand.”

I didn’t feel much dissatisfaction from him regarding me becoming the Master. For those who made a living through violence, perhaps there was no resistance to being led by someone as long as they had the strength.

Next, one of the mages among the members gave me a smile.

“Teach me about magic later, Kanami.”

“Y-yes.”

A middle-aged swordsman patted my shoulder.

“Your skill as a Master will depend on what comes next. Well, the people around you will back you up, so don’t worry too much.”

“I see, I’ll do my best.”

A man with a grim face let out a low voice.

“Hey, I haven’t acknowledged you yet…”

“Ah, no. I think that’s the natural reaction.”

“I’m going to challenge you at least five more times, so keep your neck washed and ready. Hehe.”

Just when I thought someone with a normal mind had voiced a complaint, he ended up leaving with a laugh. He was like a child who had found a rival.

After that, although various sour remarks were made, there wasn’t a single person who treated me with clear malice. At the very least, it wasn’t the kind of attitude one would expect toward someone who suddenly appeared and was forcibly made the head of the organization.

While sensing the abnormality of the members, I continued to respond with a forced smile. Once the many greetings were finished, only Palinchron and the demi-human girl remained in the training ground. The girl was staring blankly up at the dark sky.

I turned to the remaining Palinchron for an explanation.

“…Hey. Isn’t this weird?”

“Lucky you, Kanami. It’s a huge promotion, isn’t it?”

Palinchron congratulated me on joining the guild, but I was still the only one who couldn’t accept it.

“I just witnessed some terrifying nepotism. What’s more, I’m actually being welcomed, which makes it twice as unbelievable.”

“Our place is probably the only one where such recklessness would pass. It would be absolutely impossible in any other guild.”

“I thought it wouldn’t be normal since it’s your guild, Palinchron, but just why…?”

Even now, I couldn’t believe it. Even though I had shown my power in the round-robin, I still didn’t understand why the members were convinced. It was a phenomenon that would never happen in my world. Was this the difference in culture between worlds? Even if it were a culture where strength spoke for itself regardless of the details, this welcome was abnormal.

“‘Epic Seeker’ is, as the name suggests, a guild with the purpose of seeking ‘Heroes.’”

“…At that point, it’s not normal.”

“A guild directly under the state first decides on a policy of how to contribute to the country. For example, ‘protecting the peace of Lauravia,’ ‘obtaining treasures for Lauravia,’ or ‘training talent for Lauravia.’ And we are the guild that ‘finds Heroes for Lauravia.’”

“Eh, finding ‘Heroes’?”

“Because of that idiotic pretext, we’ve gathered nothing but eccentric people. Furthermore, the interviews are basically handled by me, which is another reason.”

“You’re the one choosing? No wonder weirdos gather here…”

“No matter what the members say, they’re all just dream-chasing deviants who long for a ‘Hero.’ Coupled with Lauravia’s meritocracy, there isn’t anyone who would speak ill of someone who boasts overwhelming strength like you, Kanami. In other words, this guild existed for this very day. I gathered these members with my own eyes, after all. It’ll be a problem for me if things don’t go reasonably well.”

Palinchron explained the abnormality of the guild “Epic Seeker.” He looked somewhat boastful and amused. It was like a child showing off his toys. It was close to what I had felt from the guild members earlier. In a sense, this guild was childish as a whole.

And then Palinchron, the representative of these childish adults, made a request of me.

“Become a ‘Hero’ here, Kanami. Let’s use this guild to make a name for yourself.”

Palinchron’s actions all converged on that point.

“Is that your wish…?”

“Calling it a wish is… If anything, I suppose this is a hobby. I want to try meeting a ‘Hero.’ I’m expecting that from you, Kanami. Not just your origin in another world, but I believe the human being named Kanami possesses ‘true Hero-likeness’…”

The aloof Palinchron showed a serious expression. Unable to bear the weight of that wish, I shook my head.

“You’re expecting too much, Palinchron. In the first place, I don’t even know what I’d have to do to be a ‘Hero.’”

To me, a “Hero” was nothing more than an existence in a fairy tale. In modern society, a “Hero” was at most an athlete. I couldn’t even imagine the image of a hero that Palinchron desired.

“No, I’ve already finished the preparations for that sort of thing. Some big shot in a big-shot country has laid out a fun plan for us. I’m thinking of imitating it. —‘Kanami, who gladly became the Guild Master, uses his peerless strength to explore the unprecedented Labyrinth, extending the “Orthodox Path,” and inherits the title of the strongest explorer from Glen. Subsequently, he wins the “Martial Arts Tournament.” His name resounds across the entire continent, and while saving people as a hero in various places, he makes a triumphal return to the main country of Lauravia. At the perfect moment, he joins the war in the northern part of the continent, and the living legend, the Hero, descends as the commander-in-chief of the front lines.’”

Palinchron spoke of an incredibly foolish plan in a theatrical tone.

“W-what is that? I’m not doing that. Especially the war. I absolutely don’t want to get involved in a war!”

“Hehe. Most of that was just a joke. The only part I’m serious about is the Labyrinth exploration. There’s no human malice there, and you can gain strength at your own pace. For the sake of your sister Maria, it wouldn’t hurt to have power, right?”

“…Well, I do plan to explore the Labyrinth, at least.”

In this alternate world, there was something called a Labyrinth. It was the kind of dungeon that often appeared in games—one where the deeper you went, the stronger the enemies became. It had a very convenient structure where the enemies were weaker in the shallower areas, making it suitable for gaining strength.

“If you have the capacity, I’d like you to extend the ‘Orthodox Path’ for the sake of Lauravia and the guild. If that’s impossible, then it’s the defeat of the Guardian of the thirtieth floor. I’ll have no complaints if you leave some kind of honor or achievement for ‘Epic Seeker.’”

“…If I have the capacity. I do want to make some kind of contribution to Lauravia for protecting me and Maria.”

“Winning the ‘Martial Arts Tournament’ would also be a contribution. For years now, Lauravia has continued to fall behind the other four countries. …The heroic activities in various places and being commander-in-chief in the northern war were just jokes.”

“It’ll be a problem if they aren’t jokes. If I can protect the world around me, that’s enough. I’d rather die than get involved in a conflict between nations.”

Hearing that, Palinchron laughed softly.

“Heh, hehe… I see, I understand. Regardless, what I just talked about was just a plan. For now, focus on learning the work of a Guild Master. As for the Labyrinth, don’t think about extending the ‘Orthodox Path’; just think about gaining your own strength.”

“Right. It’s an involuntary appointment, but… if I’m going to do it, I have to become able to properly handle the work of a Guild Master. It’ll cause trouble for the members otherwise.”

“Yeah. If I don’t hand things over quickly, we won’t make it in time…”

Palinchron’s expression became slightly serious.

“Won’t make it in time? —Ah, come to think of it, weren’t you called to the ‘Mainland’ as a general of the home country?”

From that serious expression, I guessed what Palinchron was worried about. Before long, Palinchron would be leaving the Allied Nations. He likely wanted to finish the handover by then.

“Something like that. After doing whatever I wanted for so long, it’s a forced summons. I had a few more things I wanted to do in the Allied Nations, but it can’t be helped.”

Palinchron used the negative expression “forced summons,” but normally, being appointed to the home country was an honor. Palinchron hated that promotion from the bottom of his heart.

“I see. So you’re going to be gone, Palinchron…”

“After I’m gone, get Snow, the veteran Sub-Master, to help you.”

“Veteran Sub-Master…?”

Then, Palinchron called over the girl who had been watching the sky in the corner.

“She’s been a Sub-Master in this guild since six years ago. She likely knows more about ‘Epic Seeker’ than I do. Come on, Snow. Introduce yourself—”

As prompted, the demi-human girl came to my side and offered her hand. She had very beautiful hands. They were white and soft-looking, like a young girl’s.

Epic Seeker consisted of a vacant Guild Master position and three Sub-Masters. Currently, the Sub-Masters were Palinchron and Rail. Both were capable adults who possessed both strength and wisdom. In other words, this demi-human girl was an expert on par with those two.

I slowly shook the hand that was offered.

“…I am Snow Walker. …Nice to meet you, Guild Master Kanami.”

“Uh, nice to meet you. Snow…?”

I hesitated on how to address her. If she was as she appeared, it would be an age where adding a diminutive would be fine. However, hearing that she had been a Sub-Master since six years ago, I wasn’t confident if her age was as it appeared.

“…We’re probably about the same age. It’s a bother, so you can call me whatever you like.”

“Thanks. Then, just Snow. You can call me whatever you like, too; no need for formal speech.”

“Then, Kanami. I’ll stop the formal speech, too.”

Apparently, she was indeed the age she appeared to be. That would mean Snow had been a guild Sub-Master since she was around ten years old.

“Kanami, Snow. You two cooperate to run ‘Epic Seeker.’ So that it’ll be fine even without me and Rail.”

“You mean the two of us are supposed to run the guild? Is it really okay with just two people as young as us?”

I imagined a situation where the two adults were gone, and my face contorted.

“It’ll be fine. Everyone acknowledges Snow’s ability, and above all, her family background is good, so no one can complain. As for Kanami, most of them acknowledged you during today. Yeah, no problems at all.”

Palinchron answered breezily. Seeing that, Snow and I both glared at him. I was sorry he seemed to be having fun, but over here, being hit with such reckless demands left me full of anxiety.

“Haha, don’t glare at me like that. I’ll leave the rest to you, Snow. Just do as promised and assist Kanami. I’ve been looking forward to the two of you cooperating for a long time now.”

Realizing he was being glared at, Palinchron moved away as if to escape. Then, he spoke to Snow.

“As long as you keep that, you can do whatever you want afterward. Just as you wanted to do whatever you liked.”

With those parting words, Palinchron left the training ground. And so, in the dark and quiet night, only Snow and I remained.