Swordsmanship Skill

“We’re leaving the party today.”

The moment he heard the three of them, Grail spat out in a displeased voice.

“Huuuh!?”

“We can’t keep up with your way of doing things anymore. We’re leaving here.”

“Don’t screw with me!”

The moment Grail approached, he grabbed the collar of the warrior who was a newcomer.

“You bastard! You were dragging us down without being any damn use at all, and the moment you rose to E-rank thanks to the scraps, you’re leaving!? Who do you think got you this far!? It was thanks to me, the one with the Swordsmanship skill! Me, the one with Swordsmanship!”

“That’s exactly it! I’m sick of that attitude!”

The warrior knocked Grail’s hand away.

“Everything is thanks to me! Thanks to me! If something fails, you’re dragging me down! It’s your fault! I’m sick and tired of it!”

“Wha—!?”

Grail’s head instantly boiled over.

He clenched his fist to punch the man away, but—he stopped. Because he remembered how he had suffered for trying to punch the female shielder before.

Besides, this was Piptat Adventurers’ Guild. He had decided it would be his new base. Making a scene bigger and standing out would not be good.

Instead, Grail raised his voice.

“Yeah, get out! Hurry up and disappear! Like I’d need you lot who aren’t any use at all! Trash!”

“We’ll do just that.”

The three newcomers left Grail without even looking back.

“Tch!”

Grail clicked his tongue loudly.

“Damn it! What an ungrateful bunch! You two think so too, right?”

Grail sought agreement from the priest and scout.

The two only gave poor reactions and tilted their heads.

“…Hah! This put a damper on things. Want to go drinking for a change of pace? It’s a celebration for rising to E-rank. We can use those ungrateful bastards’ badmouthing as a side dish!”

“…No, I’m tired today. I’m going to rest.”

“Me too.”

The two refused like that, then left the Adventurers’ Guild without even meeting Grail’s eyes.

“Ah, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…”

The day after defeating the Giant Lizardman, I woke up after sleeping like a log until noon while muttering that.

It was not that yesterday’s wounds hurt—

It was simply a hangover.

The sense of release from breaking through a deadly situation, the extra income of one million gold, the pleasant feeling of the tentative D-rank decision—

Everything was too perfect, so Misha and I drank a ridiculous amount of alcohol.

Not satisfied with just that, after returning to the inn, we spent the night drinking the alcohol we had bought in the room as well. Nyankoromochi, who had been given the highest-grade dried meat, had also been truly satisfied.

I felt like lazing around today, but…

I could not say that either.

I had to solve the mystery of this thing that appeared after my level-up.

The part that seemed to be the time limit had decreased from the 24 hours remaining yesterday. I probably could not take my time.

I quickly fixed my appearance, then headed to the room next door where Misha was staying.

“Misha, do you have a little time?”

‘…Mm? Whaaat?’

When I knocked, a voice that had just woken up came from the room.

“There’s something I want to discuss.”

‘Sure… But wait a little… I’m still not charged enough…’

“It’s not especially urgent. After I finish eating downstairs, I’ll wait in my room.”

I finished a plate of spaghetti in the dining hall, then waited in my room for Misha to come.

Misha appeared when the remaining time for the selectable skills had fallen below two hours.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ios.”

As she opened the door, Misha came in while fluttering her hand.

“Good morning, Nyankoromochi!”

“Meow.”

Misha stroked the head of Nyankoromochi as it came trotting over. Then she picked it up lightly just like that.

“Nishishishi! You’re so cute! So cute!”

Then she stared at Nyankoromochi and asked this.

“Thank you for yesterday. But what exactly are you?”

“Meow?”

Huh? What are you talking about? Nyankoromochi tilted its head as if saying that.

“You little rascal~! You know, don’t you~!”

Misha happily rubbed her cheek against Nyankoromochi.

…Well, I was also curious about Nyankoromochi’s true identity.

For now, though, that was not the urgent problem.

“—Hey, Misha. Actually, Schrödinger’s Cat’s skill leveled up.”

“Huh, seriously!?”

“Yeah. The new effect is—”

“It’s ‘Makes the existence of skills obtainable upon leveling up ambiguous.’ What do you think?”

“…Hmm… If we judge it as being the same as dropped items—”

Misha sat down on the bed with a plop while holding Nyankoromochi.

“Could it mean you can choose skills freely?”

“…I leveled up yesterday, right?”

“Yeah. …Huh, no way?”

“Yes. That no way is exactly it. The skill selection is showing. War Cry, Heavy Blow Lv2, and—”

The instant I tried to say the final one—

Various emotions welled up in my chest. They were truly diverse, and I could not express my own heart myself.

“Swordsmanship.”

Swordsmanship—

A skill that boosted a warrior’s attack power and became a condition for the advanced class “Swordsman.”

No, for me, it had a stronger meaning in another sense.

The skill Grail, who had expelled me, possessed. The skill he had flaunted to me over and over again.

The symbol of the gap lying between Grail and me.

The difference in ability I had never been able to fill.

In other words, if I took it—

I could become equal to Grail.