On the day of the rank up test briefing, Rei made his way to the guild as usual.

「Set, I don’t know what the test will be, but let’s do our best together.」

「Guru~?」

I can come to? Set seemed to ask. Rei gently stroked Set’s tilted head as they walked.

「Ah, it seems that this exam will be different from the previous one and it’s fine to bring you along. You also want to come along this time, right Set?」

「Gururu~!」

Of course! Set seemed to say with a cry.

In the last rank up test, he had been forbidden to bring Set along as the main goal had been to suppress bandits with their own skills. But this time, he had heard from Marina, the guild master, that there wouldn’t be any issues. However, he had also been told that there would be nobles going with them.

(The rank up test for B rank. I wonder what it is?)

Arriving at the guild with complex feelings of excitement and worry, he separated from Set before entering the guild.

The first thing Rei noticed when he entered the guild was the surprisingly large number of people.

Usually, during this time, the guilds busiest time would have passed and there would only be ten or so people who either overslept or had decided to take up less popular requests.

However, today was different. Although it wasn’t full……there were still many adventurers in the guild.

「This is……」

Rei tilted his head in confusion, but the adventurers in the guild immediately started talking to each other when they saw him.

「Hey, isn’t that Rei, the favourite this time?」

「Well, if you think purely in terms of ability, he’s definitely B rank……however, unlike the rank up test to D rank, it’s not purely about combat. Considering that, I think Rei is at a disadvantage. If it were only about combat power, there would be no mistake that he would be the favourite.」

「……Now that you mention it, he wasn’t that good at socialising. Then, it might be surprisingly hard?」

「I wonder about that. No matter what you say, the most important strength of an adventurer is their ability to fight. Considering that, Rei is one of the best.」

「What does this idiot think he knows. It’s definitely true that high ranking adventurers have good combat strength, but on the other hand, not all strong adventurers are high ranked. In particular, this test is said to have various elaborate tests.」

「What is it? Are you complaning about my analysis.」

「Hey, hey, you two. Don’t argue here. Even thought fights between adventurers is mostly tolerated, if you do anything on the day of the rank up test, the guild will have your eyes on you.」

「He has an item box though, right? Rei’s advantage with that doesn’t change. Moreover, he has high combat strength and his tamed monster, Set. ……He’s still the favourite after all. I’ll bet 5 silver coins on him.」

Hearing their lively voices, Rei finally understood what the purpose of this large group of adventurers was.

(They’re betting on whether or not I’ll pass the test……no, to be exact, they’re betting on everyone who’s taking part in the exam?)

Although Rei frowned. Gilm was considered to be the home of adventurers. Those who could make it to B rank were considered top notch adventurers. That was why it was true that many adventurers treated the B rank test as a form of entertainment, in the sense that they would place bets on it.

「Ah, Rei-kun. You’ve come to hear the details about the rank up test?」

Kenny noticed Rei as the adventurers started to talk about him and called out as the ears on her head moved happily.

Unlike her profession smile when greeting adventurers who had come to take up requests, it was a genuine smile from being happy to see Rei.

Many adventurers, who wished Kenny would look at them with that smile, looked towards Rei enviously. However, the fact was that Rei’s position in this city had been firmly established and no one could take any acutal actions against him.

「Hm? Is Lenora not in today?」

「Lenora’s on holiday today. ……That’s why I can have you all to myself.」

「All to yourself……no, well, that doesn’t matter. Anyway, it’s upstairs?」

「That’s right. Good luck with your rank up test. Of course, I bet three silver coins on Rei.」

「……Is that so.」

At Kenny’s words, that she had bet on the rank up test as a guild staff member……he realised that the guild had given tacit approval for it. Nodding after a small sigh, he went up the stairs to get to the meeting room on the second floor as quickly as he could.

All the while, he heard Kenny cheer for him from behinid.

 

 

「Hey, are you that Crimson from the rumours? You look more ordinary than I thought. Well, idiots who judge based on looks alone would have had a miserable experience.」

「Hey, stop it! Um, sorry about that. I’m Stee, this rude guy over here is Roble. We are both C rank adventurers who will be taken the rank up test with you. Pleased to meet you.」

A voice called out to him as soon as he entered the meeting room. Turning his eyes towards the voices, he saw two adventurers.

The first person to have called out to Rei was a wolfkin in his early 20’s, who wore a set of armour that could really only be called partial armour. It just covered the parts of his body that were most likely to be hit, such as his arms and torso, in metal armour. The dog or wolf ears that grew from his head were proof that he was a wolfkin. A 2m long spear rested against the table he was sitting at.

The young woman next to him had big ears and a thin tail that stretched out from her waist, she seemed to be a foxkin. She had a bow placed on the table and a quiver of arrows on her back. She also looked to be in her early 20’s, the same age as the wolfkin called Roble.

「You guys are also here for the rank up test?」

「Yes. We’ll be part of your group. I heard that there is one more person taking the rank up test, but it seems they haven’t come yet.」

「Or maybe we’re too early. Roble was so excited about it yesterday that……」

As Stee was about to say something with a smile, Roble covered her mouth in panic.

「Hey. Don’t just go about saying that to someone you just met for the first time.」

「Mmphmph.」

Stee looked at Roble with eyes in protest and Roble gently let go.

「Last night, he was so excited about it that he couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep either because I was worried about him.」

The moment Roble’s hand moved away, Stee quickly said everything in one breath.

「Stee!」

「Fufu~, you think I can’t read your mind Roble? My experience from dating you for so many years hasn’t been for nothing.」

(……I see.)

After seeing their interaction, Rei quickly understood what their relationship was. In other words, they were a couple who were also a party together.

「L-L-Listen up! Just because you have a title doesn’t mean that you will make it to the next rank! If I had also participated in the war, I would have recieved one or two titles myself……」

After Roble said that with a red face, it wasn’t Rei, who Roble was talking to, that responded, but Stee.

「Um, I don’t think it’s that easy to earn a title. In the first place, we couldn’t participate in the war because you decided to take up an escort request, right? Even though we knew the war would have been soon.」

「No, that’s……I spent too much money during winter and we were short on funds.」

「That’s your own problem though, seriously. You should have considered what I had to go through.」

「……Sorry.」

From an outsider’s perspective, Roble seemed to be the one holding the initiative, but in fact, Stee was the superior one.

Considering their personalities, Rei was a bit surprised. However, he turned to look towards the entrance to the meeting room when he felt a presence approach.

Soon after, a man in his 40’s appeared.

「Oh, is he also taking the rank up test?」

「Heh, he’s not very talented, finally taking the B rank test at this age?」

Whether he wanted to change the topic or not, Roble spoke up in provocative tone. However, Stee’s fist soon dropped on his head.

「I-I’m sorry. This idiot. Um, even if he looks like this, he doesn’t mean bad, but……I’m sorry. Hey, Roble, apologise!」

「Ouch-!」

Rei, who watched on as he saw the wolfkin’s ears flatten from the hit, had a strange expression.

(A foxkin who’s stronger than a wolfkin……well, maybe it’s just because they’re lovers.)

「Don’t worry about it.」

The man gave a short response and continued to walk without any change in expression on his tough looking bearded face as he sat down next to Rei.

He was equipped with leather armour that seemed to be made from the skin of some snake monster. His weapons were two short swords at his waist. It was a typical set of equipment for a thief.

(Still, he’s taking the B rank test, so it wouldn’t be strange for him to have some secret skills.)

As Rei thought that to himself, Stee got up from the chair she was sitting in and walked over to the man.

「Pardon me. Really, Roble had no bad intentions. Can you forgive us?」

From the man’s seemingly unfriendly expression, she might have thought he was still angry. Roble, who’s lover had just smacked him over the head, scratched his cheeks as he looked away.

As Stee said, he hadn’t meant anything bad. However, it was impossible to take back words that had already been said, so in the end, they had to wait and see.

However, the man just silently shook his head before speaking.

「I really don’t mind. I’m just a quiet person.」

「…..Oh, is that so?」

「Yes.」

「May I ask what your name is?」

「Ons.」

Stee gave a bow to the man who called himself Ons.

「So, we’ll be taking the test with you, I look forward to working with you.」

「……」

Ons nodded silently at Stee’s words and kept quiet without saying anything more.

Although Roble had a somewhat strange look on his face, he didn’t say anything more either……

「They’re here.」

Suddenly, Roble turned to look towards the meeting room’s entrance.

At the same time, Rei and Stee also turned to look over. After about 30 seconds, five more people showed up to the meeting room.

On was a middle-aged man in his late 30’s to early 40’s wearing the guild uniform. It was easier for everyone in the room to guess that he was the examiner for the test.

Out of the remaining 4, one was a young girl under the age of 10 while the other was a young man in his 20’s.

Rei knew who they were. After all, he had just become friends with them a few days ago.

It was clear that the other two men who came in were also nobles.

「Marka and Coan?」

「Eh? Do you know them?」

He gave a small nod toward Roble, who hear Rei’s murmurs. But before they could saying anything more, the man who seemed to be from the guild staff spoke up.

「Well then, let’s start with introductions. I’m Residence. I think you can tell by my uniform, but I’m a guild staff member and also your examiner for this test.」

At the words of the middle-aged man, Residence, Roble and Stee’s expressions became serious. Rei and Ons listened to the briefing without any change in their expressions.

「And, these are the nobles who we’ve requested to assist in this rank up test.」

When Residence said that, one of the nobles that Rei had not met before stepped forward and spoke up. He was a man in his 20’s with blue hair that reminded him of the summer sky.

「Alnicht Alwe. I’m heir to a baron, so I expect appropriate respect. I also want you all to understand that this was a request from the guild and has nothing to do with people like you at all.」

Alnicht looked around at the adventurers like they were just stones rolling around. Roble frowned at his gaze, but Stee gently grasped his hand and held it down.

He might not have noticed that happening under the table, but Alnicht just gave a snort as he stepped back.

The next person to step forward was the man next to Alnicht.

「Orkide Dafni. I’m the second son of a count. Regards to you all.」

The man named Orkide was also in his 20’s like Alnicht. He spoke to those participating in the rank up test languidly as his trifled with his brown hair.

The next person to step forward was the young girl under the age of 10. Marka Quent.

「I am Marka Quent. I have been allowed to accompany the rest of you in this rank up test. Pleased to meet you all! This is Coan, who is also my bodyguard. Although he was a former A rank adventurer, he will be serving purely as an escort for me.」

Marka said that with great pride as Coan gave a bow from beside her.

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