The Magician Of The Abyss

Before I knew it, morning had come. It seemed I had slept straight through.

“Master Vim, good morning.”

The steward from yesterday had come to the room and knocked on the door. Vim woke up at the sound of his voice.

“Good morning.”

“My apologies for the early hour. Preparations for the bestowal of your adventurer qualifications are complete, so I have come to escort you.”

“O-oh, I see.”

To be personally escorted for something as simple as the bestowal of adventurer qualifications—this was incredible treatment. Vim followed the steward.

The place they arrived at was the Audience Chamber.

“Um, why are we at the Audience Chamber?”

“This case is somewhat exceptional, so it was decided this way. Do you know the protocol for an audience?”

“Ah, I think I’ll be fine with that.”

He had attended audiences several times back in the Empire, so he figured he would be okay.

“Then, please proceed.”

The steward gave a graceful bow. Then, the maids standing on either side of the doors opened the entrance to the Audience Chamber. Vim walked down the center of the chamber, stopped at the designated spot, and knelt on one knee.

“Raise your head.”

At the King’s command, Vim looked up. Along both sides of the room, there were people who appeared to be nobles. It must have been a sudden assembly. There weren’t many of them, but he could tell by their attire.

“Vim Abel, in recognition of your recent achievements, I hereby grant you the qualification of an S-rank adventurer and the epithet ‘Magician of the Abyss.’ This is a declaration as the King of the Kingdom of Leoria.”

After the King spoke firmly, he gave a small smirk that only Vim could see. He clearly never intended to just give him a standard adventurer qualification from the start.

A stir went through the surrounding crowd. And for good reason. S-rank adventurers are the pinnacle of the craft, with fewer than five in the entire country. Normally, adventurer ranks progress through E, D, C, B, and A before reaching S. Skipping all of them at once was unprecedented.

“I… I humbly accept the appointment.”

There was no way he could refuse in a situation like this. Vim wasn’t capable of such a “heroic” act of defiance.

“Bring the item.”

“Yes, Sire.”

A well-dressed man waiting behind the King handed him a card-like object.

“I am expecting great things from you in the future.”

“Thank you very much.”

Vim received the adventurer card from the King. On it were written Vim’s name, his affiliated nation, the S-rank title, and the epithet “Magician of the Abyss.”

It was the rule that upon becoming an S-rank adventurer, one received an epithet from the King. In Vim’s case, since it was known that he had conquered the deepest depths of a labyrinth, he was given the title “Magician of the Abyss.”

Vim took the adventurer card and tucked it into his pocket. With that, the audience was concluded.

“His Majesty is waiting for you,” the steward told him as he exited the Audience Chamber.