To The Heights Of E-Rank! Grail, Soar High!

“Orrah!”

With one flash of fighting spirit, Grail’s sword bisected the Hunter Lizard.

“Hah! Too easy!”

Thanks to becoming level 16, he felt his strength had increased. His blade moved faster than before and easily tore through its skin.

(Kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh…! As expected of me!)

Compared to that, how pathetic his companions were.

“Guh… ah…”

One of the new warriors had taken a Hunter Lizard’s body slam head-on and was unable to move. The priest was in the middle of casting healing magic on him.

(Damn it! If you can’t be firepower, at least work hard as a shield!)

Grail was irritated.

The loss of time was truly wasteful. Right now, Grail and the others were in the middle of carrying out the promotion quest to E-rank.

This quest had a time limit.

Grail took a small canteen from his breast pocket.

—There is a spring in the depths of the E Layer. Please collect water from there.

That was the content of the quest. What they had been given were a map showing the location of the spring and this canteen.

Apparently, special components were mixed into the spring water, and to carry it outside, they had to use this canteen filled with magic power.

However, the canteen’s magic power would disappear in one day.

“If you fail, you will have to apply for the quest again. Please be careful.”

Applying for the quest—since the promotion quest was something they themselves desired, they had ended up paying 100,000 gold as a fee.

In other words, if they had to retry, they would be charged again.

(Those greedy guild bastards…!)

He was irritated.

100,000 gold was by no means a cheap amount.

(…If there were six of me, this would be an easy win! If we have to retry, it’ll be the fault of you lot who dragged me down!)

Grail cursed inwardly.

“Thank you…”

The warrior thanked the priest and tried to stand up, but,

“…Gah—!”

He held his stomach and crouched down.

“Hey, what’s wrong! Your wounds are healed, aren’t they!”

Grail spat out in a sharp voice.

The priest shook his head.

“No, it’s probably damage that remains in the core of his body.”

Healing magic certainly healed external wounds such as bleeding and bruises. However, it referred to the phenomenon where damage that could not be fully healed by that remained inside the body.

That appeared as heaviness in the body—and before long, as pain.

In the end, if one truly wanted to fully recover, the only option was to rest.

The priest continued speaking.

“He’s been pushing himself in the recent Hunter Lizard hunting, after all… Damage must have accumulated. Pushing himself is—”

“This is where he’s supposed to push himself!”

Grail blew away the priest’s words.

“Stand! Stand up! What are you gonna do about the 100,000 gold!?”

The inside of the dungeon fell silent.

The warrior stood up while breathing heavily.

“…I’m fine… I’ll work a little harder…”

“That’s right! That’s how it should be! If you don’t work hard now, when are you going to work hard?”

After opening a pause for one beat, Grail spat it out.

“Now, obviously!”

And so, Grail and the others headed toward the spring.

On the way there, Grail encountered another party. It was a group of three, and they had red scarves wrapped around their necks. On the ends of the scarves, the Adventurers’ Guild’s emblem, a soaring hawk, was sewn.

Yes, they were guild staff members.

(…I’m seeing them a lot today…)

Guild staff members were walking around here and there on the E Layer.

Normally he would have ignored them and passed by, but this time, Grail gave in to curiosity and called out to the group of three.

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

A man clad in armor who seemed to be the leader of the three stopped.

“You guys are guild staff, right? I feel like there are a lot of staff wandering around today. Did something happen?”

“The other day, an area boss appeared on the E Layer in a place where none had appeared before. We overlooked it. We are currently investigating the site so that it can be included as a measurement target in the future.”

Grail frowned.

An area boss was a powerful enemy. Even Grail, who had a high opinion of himself, understood that he could not stand against one.

“…There was no warning information at the guild, though…?”

“It has already been defeated. There were adventurers who had the misfortune to be present when the area boss appeared, you see. They defeated it on the spot.”

“Hoh…”

Grail took an interest. He had taken an interest. What kind of strong people had accomplished that?

“What kind of people were they?”

“Apparently, they were a two-person group of a warrior and a mage. I do not know the details, but… I hear the warrior was clad in Blue Firebird Chain Mail.”

“Blue Firebird—!”

It was B-rank equipment.

Certainly, if the user was skilled enough to wield that, it would not be strange even if they instantly killed an E Layer area boss.

“Well, there probably will not be another area boss appearing for a while, but—the guild can miss things too. Be sufficiently vigilant.”

After saying that, the guild staff members went on ahead.

Grail felt his fighting instinct ignite.

(…Kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh! This is Piptat! Piptat is where strong adventurers like that are everywhere! It’s a place worthy of me rising in the world! Iiiiiiooooooos! Where are you now? Where are you standing still? I’m in the greatest place—where the goal I should be aiming for exists!)

A light lit in Grail’s eyes.

It was the flame of admiration. It was the moment he found the target he should chase after.

The adventurer in Blue Firebird Chain Mail who instantly killed an area boss—overwhelming respect took root in Grail’s chest.

(I’ll reach those heights someday too!)

There was no time to dawdle.

Grail fired up the members under him.

“Come on, you lot, we’re going! We’ll pass a mere E-rank in one shot! Don’t drag me down!”

After that, they repelled E-rank monsters several times, and at last, Grail and the others obtained the spring water.

Then they returned to the Adventurers’ Guild—

“Congratulations! You have been promoted to E-rank!”

The person in charge praised Grail’s great achievement with a smile.

Then they handed the updated guild cards to Grail and the others.

Written there were these words.

E-rank—and so.

(Ha—hahahahahahahaha! At last! At last! I’ve escaped the very bottom! Iiiiiiooooooos! I’m different from you, struggling at F-rank! I was able to get this far because I have the Swordsmanship skill! A piece of trash with a shit skill like you deserves to sink in F-rank for life! I was right to cut you loose! There’s no way you could keep up with my speed, after all!)

As Grail trembled with dark joy—

“Grail.”

A voice called out from behind him.

“Huh?”

When he turned around, the three newcomers were staring at Grail.

“You need something?”

“We’re leaving the party today.”