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“So you made the Guild Master look like that?”

After a simple duel, I returned to the Adventurer’s Guild and handed over a rather worse-for-wear Argo.

Argo headed to the infirmary for treatment, and Adela, who was left at the reception desk, asked what had happened, so I told her everything. She glared at me with those half-asleep eyes just like now.

“Yeah.”

“Are you out of your mind…?”

“Yeah.”

I didn’t get why she was taking it out on me. It was Argo who suggested the duel, claiming he needed a reason, and it was also Argo who charged at me like he wanted to kill me first. I just responded in kind, what’s the problem?

More than that, I didn’t understand why she was so mad. Adela had never been this angry before. While pondering that, a fitting revelation suddenly struck me.

“Aha! Adela must like Argo!”

“…What?”

Her expression didn’t change at all, as if to say, “What kind of nonsense are you spouting?” I guess being a receptionist means her acting skills are top-notch.

“When someone you like gets hurt, it’s natural to be angry. I completely understand.”

“….”

It’s common in cartoons, right? The protagonist’s awakening cliché. When a close friend or lover gets hurt, they explode in anger and awaken. I think Adela is experiencing something similar.

Ugh… The age gap must be significant, making for a tough love story.

“Well, these days, as long as you both like each other, that’s what matters, right? I can’t relate, but I support you…”

“Luke.”

“Yes?”

The look in her eyes was one that warned, “Say one more word, and I’ll kill you,” so I immediately shut my mouth. Right now, even S-Rank Adventurers don’t scare me, but for some reason, I shrink back when I see Adela. Damn it! To think my opponent has a Stand that shows what they’re most afraid of! How cowardly!

“So why are you getting so annoyed?”

“If the Guild Master can’t work, it means more work for us.”

“Oh, I see.”

So I guess it’s understandable to be mad about that.

“By the way, what about my rank promotion?”

“The Guild Master has promoted you to A-Rank. However, since it happened suddenly, it will take about a day to create the badge.”

“But I’m curious, doesn’t becoming an A-Rank Adventurer come with any benefits?”

“No.”

Adela responded sternly, without a hint of hesitation. What? Isn’t that a load of trash? This makes it seem like there’s no real difference between F-Rank and S-Rank aside from recognition.

“Oh, but thinking about it… there is one benefit.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“You can participate in the social gathering hosted by the royal family.”

“Is that even a benefit…?”

“It varies depending on who thinks about it.”

“But what exactly is the royal family’s social gathering?”

I’ve never even seen one. Since this is a world where the Academy is the main stage, it’s not likely that a social gathering of nobles would even show up in the story.

“The royal family holds a social gathering once a year in the Royal Palace for various reasons. Invitations are sent to Adventurers so they can attend.”

“For A-Rank, not even S-Rank?”

“…You may not know, but there are fewer than 100 A-Rank Adventurers in the entire continent.”

Is it really that rare? I thought it was around the top 10 percent, but it seems lower than I expected.

“Is there any benefit for Adventurers attending the social gathering?”

With how awful the nobility’s personalities are, do they really expect me, a commoner, to step foot in the Royal Palace? While they might not openly go crazy since the invitation was sent by the royal family, I can bet they will give me dirty looks or treat me poorly. More than that, is there really anything an Adventurer could gain from going?

“Whether it be an Adventurer or a noble, it’s about forming connections. No matter how strong you are, an A-Rank alone can’t do everything, so they look for help or sponsorships from nobles they have connections with. And for nobles, having an A-Rank Adventurer can be a great asset, so it never hurts to have connections.”

Seems like connections aren’t just a thing in my past life. To be honest, I’m not really interested in sponsorships. The nobles would probably just throw some money at me and try to control me however they want, and I’d probably end up losing it and killing someone. So, a sponsorship would really just be pointless.

“By the way, a social gathering is scheduled to take place soon. We will deliver the invitation, so if you’re interested in participating, let us know. What do you think?”

If it’s a social gathering, there must be a ton of food, right? Since it’s hosted by the royal family, the food’s taste and quality are guaranteed. As I pondered whether to go or not, someone was tugging at my sleeve. It was always Yui who tugged at my sleeve, so turning around to see who it was this time surprised me; it was Riche.

“Umm… could we not go to the social gathering…?”

She looked at me with an anxious expression, seemingly frightened.

“Why?”

“You already know, don’t you…?”

I know. Since Riche’s family is a duke’s family, attending the social gathering is essential. But she’s been half-rejected by her family. She must have always been neglected, and reuniting with her family must feel like a trauma.

“I don’t want to.”

But usually, when someone tells you not to go, it just makes you want to go more. Since Riche have only recently joined us, she might not know that saying that makes it sound like she wants to go.

*

For now, I had things to do, so I just received the invitation from Adela, and we left the Adventurer’s Guild and headed to the Blacksmith.

Ding!

“Uncle.”

“Hm? Oh, it’s you. Long time no see.”

“I’ve been busy with a lot of stuff.”

It feels like I always say the same thing every time I come here. I try to come as often as I can, but the world seems to be working against me.

“So, is it finally time to change that weapon of yours today?”

“Yeah.”

“Honestly, it’s surprising it hasn’t broken yet.”

“I think so too.”

Even though it has the materials of a Named Monster, it’s ultimately still from a D-Rank monster. I’ve slain B-Rank and A-Rank monsters, and just yesterday I took down an S-Rank monster, yet this thing is still intact and okay to use. That’s impressive.

“So, are you here to show me the amazing material we talked about before?”

“Yes, and by the way, I’m now an A-Rank Adventurer. You should get your hopes up.”

“Sure, sure. Let’s see just how amazing it is.”

Uncle’s tone suggested he wasn’t expecting much, probably thinking I only brought some A-Rank material. To shatter that illusion, I took a branch from the World Tree out of my inventory.

“Tada! Guess what this is?”

“…What the hell is this?”

Uncle looked stunned. It didn’t feel like he was asking out of ignorance; he seemed to recognize this material’s significance at a glance, despite it looking like a giant twig.

“Do you feel anything off about it?”

“I can’t tell exactly, but… it feels strangely special.”

Uncle inspected the branch of the World Tree with intense focus. His fingers started to fidget, indicating that a blacksmith’s intuition might have kicked in. Not just anyone can do that. I always feel like I found a good blacksmith.

“What on earth did you bring me…?”

“It’s a branch from the World Tree.”

“Wait, wait…? The World Tree? As in the one those elf-types reverently worship…?”

I mean, it’s a weird way to say it, but that’s the gist of it.

“Yeah.”

Whoa… Uncle was amazed.

“So, those elf folks gave this to you?”

“It was given directly by the World Tree.”

Given directly?! What are the elves supposed to do if the World Tree decides to give some branches away? They’re always ranting about the World Tree’s blessings, and if I took just one branch, I’d probably wipe them all out.

“…But isn’t this too little to make a weapon out of?”

I had only received one branch from the World Tree. No matter how large a branch may be, this alone would be insufficient to craft a weapon. If I were using a longsword, it might’ve been a different story, but since I’m making a greatsword, which requires three to four times more material than a regular weapon, it just won’t cut it.

“Of course, that’s for the handle. The real material is still separate.”

“There’s something even better than this…?”

“Do you know what the Volcano Dragon is?”

“I’ve only heard the name before.”

Even though Uncle is older and well-informed, the Volcano Dragon is a monster notorious enough to be in history books. Although documents may exist, very few people alive today, unless they’re elves or some long-lived species, would have seen this monster in person.

“So why are you suddenly bringing up that monster? Don’t tell me you managed to procure some materials from it?”

“Yeah.”

“Whaaaat…?”

In all honesty, an ordinary person would find that absolutely unbelievable. I mean, an S-Rank monster? It’s a wish of all humanity. Who would believe that I just casually went and hunted it?

So, I took out the materials from the Volcano Dragon from my inventory to prove it to Uncle. The exterior resembled nothing more than armor that looked like coal—a relic that could easily fit in a museum.

“Alright. What do you think when you see this?”

“Wh-what kind of creature are you…?”

“I’m just an Adventurer.”

Uncle seemed eager to touch it and started fidgeting his fingers, so I handed it over right away. After all, if I’m making a weapon, I need to let him examine it. Uncle began to feel the material everywhere as if it were his first night with someone, then after a bit, he placed it down on the counter and declared with certainty.

“Impossible.”

“How do you know without even trying?”

“How long do you think I’ve been doing this? I can tell just by feeling it whether it’s feasible to forge.”

“Why can’t it be done?”

“First, there’s the issue with the tools. If you hit something as solid as this with just any hammer, the hammer will get dented first. And if we’re talking about the materials from the Volcano Dragon, a regular furnace wouldn’t be able to melt this down.”

Now that I think about it, the shell of a creature that survived a volcano wouldn’t just melt away in a furnace. In fact, if someone could forge materials of this caliber, that person would already be known as a legendary blacksmith, not just any ordinary one.

But if Uncle can’t do it, where should I go? Should I go out and look for a different blacksmith or something?

“Honestly, this wouldn’t be possible anywhere you go.”

“Damn it.”

So the materials from an S-Rank monster are basically trash? If it can’t be forged, what on earth can I even use it for?

“So what am I supposed to do now?”

“Well, if there’s one race capable of forging something like this, it’s only one.”

Named as the best blacksmiths in all fantasy worlds, commonly known as the iron race, the Dwarves. The only race that could forge such rare materials, as Uncle says, would be…

“Dwarves?”

“Yeah.”

It hadn’t been long since I returned from Alvheim, and now I’m off on another long journey just to make a weapon. Just the thought of it made my head spin.

 

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