Episode 5 - Junior Adventurer Promotion Examination I
The promotion examination for junior adventurers――
It is the first hurdle that the lowest-class adventurers, who have always felt like rookies, must overcome.
The second test, a practical test, is relatively easy, but the problem is the first test, which tests knowledge.
The questions asked were things that an adventurer would need to know as common knowledge.
The major laws of the East End and the etiquette of the adventure destination.
And what to do in case of emergency in the dungeon.
Because many of them cannot read or write, the test is given orally, but even so, there are many who fail the first test. This is because many of them lack common sense, or even if they do have common sense, they do not have the ability to explain it orally.
Incidentally, the intermediate adventurer qualification test requires specialized knowledge of domestic ruins and labyrinthine strategies.
The certification exam for advanced adventurers will require reading and writing in either the Common Western or Common Eastern languages, in addition to in-depth expertise in rare ruins around the world.
This is because, although higher ranks expand the range of places where quests can be undertaken, it is not good for the guild to have its culturally valuable ruins razed to the ground, as this will lead to complaints from various quarters.
Advanced adventurers, who are the face of the guild, especially those who receive requests from the nobility and intelligentsia, must handle them smartly and smoothly.
If a problem arises, not only will the adventurer be hounded, but the Adventurer Guild branch to which he or she belongs will be under fire as well.
Being strong alone is not enough.
An advanced adventurer is a qualification that requires responsibility, common sense, and being well-educated.
(That's why, once you reach the middle rank or higher, you are no longer seen as a "mere hoodlum" by the townspeople.)
『So, at the lower levels, they are still below the average person, eh. Well, I heard the contents of the oral examination, and they were all things that even a child could answer, so I guess you could say that it makes sense.』
Listening to the voice of the glasses, Kian went down the white stairs to the catacombs behind the guild.
At the end of the narrow staircase, he came to a wide space of 50 meters square.
It was dimly lit, and there were many torches and vents attached to the walls on all four sides of the space.
It was the large square in front of the dungeon "Catacombs".
This labyrinth, jointly owned by the Adventurers' Guild and the Church of the West, is where the second round of the qualification test for lower-class adventurers will be held.
Although it is called a Catacombs, the bodies of the city's residents are not buried there.
The monsters that spring up are weak and few in number.
Strong wards have also been put up so that they will not come out on the ground.
In short, it is a good training ground for newcomers.
「............」
Kian looked around at the thirty or so people crammed into the dimly lit space.
He had been in this town for fifteen years, so he knew most of the people around him.
In addition, all of them were at least one year younger than Kian.
They turned their sharp gazes on Kian as he came down the Catacombs' stairs. Kian felt a strong sense of hostility directed toward him.
When Kian stared back at them, they all looked away as if they were not interested. However, even though they were no longer staring at him, the killing intent that burned the back of his neck was still coming at him from all around them.
『They are tense, huh』
(Everyone's life is at stake, and since the number of successful applicants is limited, from their point of view, I'm as good as an enemy to be defeated.)
You have to be careful, because the moment you relax, you can get busted from behind――
Just as Kian was thinking that, a voice rang out like a bell from the side.
「Kian!」
It was Serena.
She was dressed in her usual light leather armor.
She was walking towards Kian, avoiding the crowd.
「You passed the first exam, congratulations!」
「Thank you. If you're here, you must have passed too. Congratulations to you too」
「Passing such a simple test is nothing to be proud of, though.」
A silver-haired girl shrugs her shoulders saying so.
She has her usual longsword at her waist.
The enemies here are of the ghost type, and a steel weapon would have little effect.
Then, is she going to coat that thing with charcoal pine sap and make it cloak itself in flames?
「Surprisingly many people fail the first test. I'm sure some of the guys here failed before last month and are trying again. You shouldn't say that kind of thing too loudly, though.」
Kian said this in a hushed voice as he looked toward the large bald-headed man who was giving him a sharp look.
「You're right ......」
Serena also noticed the amount of hostility directed at her from those around her and muttered as she turned back around.
She turned her face back to Kian again.
「Have you ever failed too Kian?」
「I'm the one who couldn't even take a promotion exam before. It's less than that.」
「Hmph ....... I'm starting to think that the guild's assessment is wrong.」
As she said it, she wagged her silver tail somewhat restlessly.
She also rubbed her thin white thighs wrapped in long boots against each other and stretched out with her heels in the air.
Kian raised an eyebrow.
「Are you nervous?」
「Eh?」
「No, you're kind of acting more suspicious than usual.」
「Oh ......, you could tell?」
「Are you worried about the second exam?」
Kian asked, and Serena fell silent with a difficult look on her face.
After a bit, she quickly raises her light blue eyes.
「Kian is an old man now, right?」
「Hmm ......? Ah. I'm already thirty. In human terms, I'm a perfect old man.」
「Th-theenn... ......」
Serena is wriggling her hips with her hands clasped behind her back.
Her cheeks are cherry-red and somewhat sexy.
Her silver dog ears were flattened and buried in her hair.
「What's going on here?」
「Nnhh.....uhh. ...... hair loss」
「Hair loss?」
「Hmm.」
Serena nodded and looked at Kian with an expression that was half embarrassment and half confusion.
「Does Kian frequently lose his hair? As far as the hairline on your forehead, you don't look bald, but ......」
「What are you saying out of the blue? That's because it's metabolic, so hair loss is normal. It's not like I'm going to lose so much hair that I'll go bald, though.」
「...... I might go bald in the future」
She looked serious and her eyes watered.
She touched her short, habitually cut hair and wagged her long tail.
「T-To tells the truth,...... I've been losing my hair lately.」
「Hmmm? Is that so?」
「Yes.」
Serena closed her thighs tightly together, creating deep creases in the fabric of her lower abdomen, which was covered by her shorts.
「And, it was kind of feel cool, I mean, it was uncomfortable.」
「You don't look bald to me, though」
Kian lowered his eyebrows and tilted his head to look at her silver tail.
「Hmmm, your tail doesn't look like it's lose hair either.」
「............. Nah. That's okay, this is my problem. Forget it.」
「You sure?」
「Yep. I'm a warrior. I need to be strong before I care about my looks.」
「I know it's not for me to say, but I think looks are important. I used to dress like a hobo, and I was often turned down for jobs because of it.」
As Kian was saying this, Irina, the head receptionist, took the platform set up at the back of the main plaza.
Around the platform stood the guild's martial arts employees, fully armed.
Apparently, the second round of testing was about to begin.
The crowd gathered in the large square, which was suddenly buzzing with activity.
The whispered voices of more than 30 people sounded like ripples in the reverberating test room.
「Hey, look at that!」
whispers a man dressed like a bandit beside Kian.
He was not talking to Kian, but to his partner standing beside the man.
His partner also mouthed the man.
「Ah, it's Friedrich, the guild master.......Leaving aside the qualification exams for intermediate level or above, why is he at a lower level exam?」
Kian followed their gaze and looked at the back of the square.
To the left of the martial guild officials.
Under a torch on the wall, a man in a staff uniform, emaciated like a skeleton, is having some kind of conversation with several of his entourage.
There is no mistaking it.
It is Friedrich, the guildmaster.
Kian had not seen him in public since he had dealt with Sophie, but he looked even more unhealthy than before.
He looks severely emaciated.
He seemed to be showing maps to the staff around him, pointing here and there, hurriedly sending out instructions.
「Is something wrong?」
Serena whispered around his shoulder.
Kian shook his head.
「I don't know. But it doesn't seem likely that the exam will be canceled. Irina-san, the head receptionist, is going to start speaking.」
『Ahh, everyone, please be quiet.』
Irina, a woman in her forties wearing makeup, holds a loudspeaker to her mouth and speaks up.
『Thank you for coming today to take the examinations for promotion to junior adventurers in the Adventurers' Guild. All of you here should have passed the first exam, but if you have not, please leave the room as soon as possible. And the same goes for anyone who has nothing to do with the examinations』
Irina looked around at the chattering group of low-class adventurers, and when she saw that there was no movement, she put the loudspeaker to her mouth again.
『This is the venue for the second round of examinations for promotion to junior adventurers. I repeat, this is the venue for the second round of examinations for promotion to junior adventurers. Please make no mistake. Now, please do not move from place to place as the officials go around to check your examination ticket.』
The martial arts staff quickly entered the midst of the lowest-class adventurers and began checking their examination slips.
Perhaps pressed for time, Irina also began to speak, explaining the contents of the upcoming examination.
To summarize briefly, the content of the examination was to enter one of a group of rooms in the deepest part of this dungeon "Catacombs," defeat a monster prepared by the guild and come back here again after stripping off the proof of subjugation.
The dungeon attack was to be done in teams of three, and the three had to help each other as an impromptu team. Abandon one person and reach the goal with two people! If you take such actions, your points will be deducted significantly.
『The team of three will be chosen at random. Depending on your luck, you may be assigned to a place where your party's overall strength is lower. But even in that case, we will assess you individually, so don't throw it away from the start and say, "I can't do it". Don't give up and calmly think about how you can help the team achieve its goals.』
「Shit, I can't team up with the usual guys.」
「Kuku......, I have no problem with that. I don't have any friends to begin with, after all ......」
「May I team up with someone strong, may I team up with someone strong!」
Kian heard various voices around him.
『The test is to defeat the boss at the far end and come back here, but of course the faster you work, the higher your rating will be. That doesn't mean you should neglect accuracy, though. ...... Also, basically anything goes in the dungeon. It's a real-world test, so don't hesitate to be on your guard and take the test. Healers from the guild's healing center will also be standing by.』
At the sound of Irina's voice, the eyes of the adventurers in the lineup turned even sharper.
Anything is possible.
In other words, it's okay to kick others out.
The fact that they have healers on standby seems to suggest that they are encouraging this.
「............」
Serena is making a stern face next to Kian.
In some cases, Kian may have to fight her too.
Irina on the stage raised her voice.
『Then we will divide the teams. Staff, please.』
At the sound of her voice, the guild officials in their magician's robes stepped forward and pointed their hands at the examinees.
The examination slips in the candidates' hands began to glow with colorful phosphorescence.
『We've randomly divided the teams according to the eleven colors!』
Irina said loudly.
『Everyone, please find a candidate of the same color as you and form a team of three!』
「......It looks like we're on different teams」
Serena said as she held up a silver-colored examination slip.
Kian shows her the orange-colored examination slip.
「It seems so. Let's wish each other good luck. I hope we both pass the exam when it's over.」
「Hmm...」
Serena nodded one and walked toward a female magician who was radiating the same colors. That one and another one ― a swordsman man with a spindly mohawk ― seemed to be the team. The female magician looked at the color of Serena's examination voucher and clenched her fist, "Good!" and the swordsman man said, "G-Good, I've hit the jackpot!"
(Now then, I need to find a team member too. ......)
Pairing up - and something like that.
When asked to form a team―Kian was a little nervous because he only remember that he was the only one who was not allowed to join a team, but as expected of a guild exam, it didn't come to, "Kian was the only one with an orange examination slip, too bad!".
Within seconds, Kian spotted a pair of hooded figures standing quietly like ghosts in a corner of the exam room.
Those two were holding orange-glowing examination slips in their hands.
(The torchlight made it hard to see them, but there seemed to be no mistake. Thank goodness. If I had to attack alone, there was a possibility that the guys from other teams would harass me to their heart's content .)
「Hello.」
Kian approached the two hooded people and greeted them in a clear voice, holding up his examination slip next to his face.
They were both shorter than Kian.
He stood in front of them as they turned to face him in response to his voice and held out their right hand.
「I'm Kian. Basically, I'm a scout and swordsman in the vanguard. If either of you is not a healer, I can drop to the rear guard and play healer. Though I can't repair a missing part, I can decompose poison, dispel curses by manipulating chi, and even heal wounds. Keep in mind, however, that I'm terrible at magic.」
「―――」
「―――」
With a thin little robe.
A robe is as tall as Serena.
They looked at each other silently as they heard Kian introduce himself.
Kian smiled bitterly.
「Oh ......, e-errr, ....... Are you listening?」
「............」
「............」
「We're the second exam team. As you can see from the colors on our exam slips――」
「Ahh, ahh. I know that.」
A robed adventurer about Serena's height sighs as she says this, interrupting Kian's voice.
She quickly removes her hood.
「Eh―――?」
The smell of clean soap, not unlike that of the lowest-class adventurer, tickles his nose.
Black hair.
Dark eyes.
White skin.
A woman's face with a generally strong atmosphere emerges from below.
From beneath her cropped bangs, she turned her glaring gaze on Kian.
She pulls out a blue jeweled tin cane hidden behind her back and taps it against the stone floor.
Her eyes are slitted, intelligent, and confident.
Under her right eye is a seductive weeping black.
She looks at Kian with her thin lips in the shape of a "へ" as if she is assessing him.
「White Skin...... are you from the southern part of Azrair?」
「And, are you from the desert north of Azrair? As for me, unfortunately, I was born and raised in the Kingdom of Franz.」
「Oh, I see.」
「Well, the Counts of the Ezerland Frontier are close to Azrair, and surely there are a lot of people who look like me.」
「Hahaha, that's right. Oh, I'm Kian. Nice to meet you.」
「I heard that earlier. ――I'm Christina. I have to take care of this child, so I can't take care of you too, but at least try not to die, okay?」
「Ha, haa. I'll do my best.」
(I'm on a team with someone who seems to have a strong character again. In times like this, it would be fine if I could team up with a normal person, though ......)
Kian smiled affectionately and turned to the other ― an even smaller one.
「Uh, what about you?」
「Oh, this girl is――」
「Christy.」
The small hooded child raised a slender arm to control the girl with the black hair.
She picked the hem of her hood and raised it a little.
A face wrapped in a white mask emerges from underneath.
「――――」
Kian looked at her stain-free, white fingertips and raised an eyebrow.
Dark blue eyes stare up at Kian from beneath the mask.
Like Christina beside her, this girl over here? I didn't recognize her face at all.
Or rather, as for this girl, she doesn't look like she could fight very well.
Looking at the balance of her body and the thinness of her arms, it seems that her physical ability is only that of an age-appropriate woman and child.
Since she has quite a lot of magic power, does she fight with magic?
As Kian observes the masked girl, she takes a moment and picks at the skirt of her gray robe with a small finger.
「Nice to meet you, Kian-sama. If I'm not mistaken, you single-handedly defeated a Griffin that was said to have appeared on the western road the other day......?」
「Ah, that's right. ......」
「My. So it was as I thought. ――My name is Manon, a 9th-class adventurer. Please make acquaintance with me from now on.」
「Thank you very much for your kindness. It's nice to meet you too. Manon-san, Christina-san.」
「Aah, you can call me Christy or Chris.」
Christina said so with a tedious fluttering and waving of her hand.
「It's so long, it almost bites, doesn't it? Not for your common tongue.」
「Haah ......?」
「I am of noble birth! I'm different from you poor people by birth and everything!」
Christina ― no, Christy, who brushes back her dark hair.
She deflected her ample bosom proudly, looked at Kian, and sniffed, "Han!"
Next to her, Manon giggled from under her mask.
She has a perfectly flat bosom in contrast to Christy's.
Her hood swayed and her shiny blonde hair seemed to leak through the gap between her and the mask.
「She and I both come from commoner backgrounds. I hope you don't mind too much.」
「Haah. Y-You're a strange one, aren't you ......」
「We get that a lot. Right, Christy?」
「I was just stating a fact, though. ...... Well, fine.」
The black-haired female magician ― Christy hit the ground with her staff once more with a clap and looked at the cudgel on Kian's waist.
「For the time being, do you want to check your equipment? Although, you seem to have only a crap-looking weapon without even needing to check.」
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Tftc
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