The Former Child Prodigy Becomes An E-Rank Adventurer

“Ilvis-san, thank you so, so much! If you had not been there, I think I would have died a million times over! You really saved me!”

When we arrived back at the Imperial Capital, Fiona said that to me with a smile of obvious relief.

I had successfully fulfilled the escort mission. And there was someone happy because of it. I felt relieved that I had managed to fulfill my responsibility.

For my strength to be of use to someone—that was a wonderful thing.

“Hahaha, I am glad I could be of help.”

“Here is the completion form for the request.”

Saying that, Fiona handed me a sheet of paper. If I took this to the guild, the guild would pay me the agreed reward.

“…I kind of feel bad… I think you did far more work than the reward is worth…”

“Please do not worry about it.”

It was true that I felt pretty exhausted, but well, it was what we had agreed on from the start.

“Ilvis-san, thank you very much.”

After giving me a polite bow, Fiona disappeared into the crowds of the Imperial Capital.

I headed to the guild to report the mission’s completion.

When I tried to tell the guild receptionist,

“Ah, Ilvis-san, we will handle you at the buying counter,”

she said, and I ended up being dealt with at the place where the usual purchasing clerk was.

“Why am I over here?”

“Umm, well, you know, Ilvis-san, you are, um—”

After thinking for a bit, the purchasing clerk continued.

“Distinctive, are you not?”

“You chose your words carefully just now, did you not?”

“It was decided that it would be better if someone used to dealing with you handled it. So I have been assigned exclusively to you, Ilvis-san.”

“No, no… I am just a low-ranking adventurer, you know?”

“What are you saying!? When you are the Divine Hands!”

“So that nickname is never going away, huh.”

I placed the request completion form Fiona had given me on the counter.

“I finished the request.”

“Ooooooooooh! Congratulations!”

While checking the contents of the paper, the purchasing clerk nodded again and again.

“If I remember right, Ilvis-san, was this not your promotion quest?”

That was right. I had half forgotten it myself—

“That is right. It was supposed to be the promotion quest to E Rank.”

“Huh, S Rank?”

“I said E Rank.”

“It just does not register with me.”

“It should not register.”

Apparently the rewards increased if your rank went up, but in exchange, the quests also became more difficult and troublesome. If I was struggling this much even with a measly E-Rank quest like this one, then of course the higher ones were impossible.

A meteor falling during an E-Rank quest.

Society is way too harsh…

“Well then, it cannot be helped, so I will make your adventurer card for E Rank.”

And just like that, my adventurer card was updated.

The rank section had been changed from “F” to “E.”

Ooh! Finally! E Rank!

“Congratulations, Ilvis-san!”

“Thanks.”

Well, all that had happened was that my lowest rank had become a low rank, so it was not exactly something I could be too proud of, but it still felt good, like my hard work had been recognized.

With a cheerful smile, the purchasing clerk said this to me.

“Then next, I will be waiting with a B-Rank promotion quest ready for you!”

“No, just give me the D Rank one like normal…”

Why was everyone so determined to make me work…?

My business at the guild was finished.

So I went back home.

“I’m back, Arisa—ah, she is not here.”

Well, of course she was not. I had come home in the middle of a weekday afternoon.

Still, I was tired from the trip too… I figured I would relax, take a bath, change into comfortable clothes, and wait for Arisa to come home.

So while I was taking it easy at home—

Arisa came in through the door after work.

“Huh, Onii-chan. You were back?”

“Yeah.”

“You are suddenly just lazing around, huh?”

Just as Arisa said, I was sitting on the sofa in loose, comfortable home clothes.

“Heh heh heh, well, work is over.”

“Then I guess that cannot be helped.”

Laughing softly, Arisa sat down in a chair.

“So, how was the escort job?”

“…Hmm… Well… I am glad she was happy, but it was pretty rough.”

“Because you had to be considerate of her?”

“No, she was an easygoing person, so it was not that… But somehow, because of this red gemstone she obtained, a gate to another world opened, a white monster and a huge horde of undead came out, the white monster would not die, and then a meteor started falling, so it was pretty rough.”

“Onii-chaaaan. That is a pretty funny joke!”

“What!?”

“How could an escort mission possibly turn into something like that? You copied the setting from some novel, did you not!?”

Hmm… But it was true…

Still, hearing myself say it out loud did make me think. It sounded fake. Why did things even end up like that for me?

Well, it did not seem like she would believe me, so I changed the subject.

“Oh, right, I became an E-Rank adventurer.”

“Huh, really?”

“Really, really. I will show you the card later.”

“Wooow, that is amazing!”

After saying that, Arisa asked me something in a slightly calmer voice.

“Hey, Onii-chan. Now that you have started working, what do you think?”

“Hmm…”

After thinking a little, I answered.

“Let’s see. I guess it really made me realize again that I like lazing around at home.”

“Onii-chan, that was the part where you were supposed to say something a little more moving.”

“Right, it was.”

Then Arisa gave a little cough.

“Okay, um… Onii-chan. Now that you have started working, what do you think?”

“Hmm…”

After thinking a little, I answered.

Yeah, I guess it really made me realize again that I like lazing around at home.

That would have been the classic thing to repeat, but I felt like if I did that, I would be handing Arisa the power of life and death over me, so I decided not to.

“I think being useful to someone is a good thing. It makes me simply happy when someone says thank you.”

Arisa made a surprised expression.

“…Huh, I am kind of surprised that was actually a sensible answer.”

“That is mean.”

“That may be one reason to work too. It is nice to be of use to someone.”

Arisa nodded again and again.

“Do you think you can keep it up, being an adventurer?”

“Yeah… I think I have found it at least somewhat enjoyable. If I keep at it a little longer… maybe I will find something else I enjoy too. Well, I will keep going little by little.”

“Hehe, that sounds fine to me. Do your best, okay!”

“Yeah. Leave it to me.”

A lot had really happened over the last few months.

Compared to the two years before that, they had been turbulent days. But I did not mind it. I had been in danger a few times, but even in my own immature way, I managed to work hard and get through it. I received many words of thanks too. I was contributing in my own way. There were definitely people whom my presence had helped.

That fact— made me happy. The feeling of being needed.

It was not as though I regretted those two years, but I was glad I had decided to start walking forward again.

Even someone like me, who had merely been excellent back in my student days, could still be useful.

Yeah, little by little, I will do my best— and little by little, I will help others in my own way.

After nodding to myself, I said to Arisa,

“…Well, one job is finished, so I am going to laze around at home for a month.”

“Hey, Onii-chan!? Give back that nice mood we had going just now!”