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1st Volume, 10th Chapter 【The Secondary Exam】
The progression of the story is slow.
Please follow it patiently. (Author’s note)
After the primary exam was over, the seven of us, including Bays-san, left the training area.
Unfortunately, three of the examinees were assessed as unacceptable and had to part immediately.
One of them was dejected and left the guild; the other one was brooding over something in front of the bulletin board; the last one picked up a quest paper and took it to the reception desk. The three of them went three separate ways.
I could only wish them good luck.
The rest of us gathered, once again, in the rest space on the first floor.
By the way, Arnold-san used a sword in the contest a while ago.
Actually, he used both the sword and the hand-to-hand combat techniques.
As expected, beastkin race is superior in terms of physical abilities. Seeing the combination of sword and hand-to-hand combat techniques was like seeing an engaging blade dance.
But as you would expect from such a deft spear user as Bays-san.
In the end, both of them received several hits. The training area was even more heated than it was during my turn.
Both of them started laughing at the same time, facing each other. That’s how their contest concluded.
According to Bays-san, 『continuing any further would be a breach of the code of conduct of an examiner.』
Oi, oi!
I was wrong to evaluate him as a ‘bespectacled gentleman’, it seems. I’ll have to modify it to ‘S glasses’.
「——That was surprising. Both the beastkin, especially Arnold-san, were strong but that was within my expectations. As for Seiji-san, the sword skills you displayed……」
Y-You would give me a candy and I would forgive you? I’m not a kid!
「Next is the secondary exam. In this exam, you will receive a rank D quest.」
I see. Upon completing a real quest will we be qualified for promotion, huh?
「The three of you have already demonstrated sufficient ability for rank D. In this secondary exam, I’ll be receiving the quest together with you. My role will not be to help you in completing the quest but to ensure that you complete the quest safely.」
Fumu, fumu……But you don’t have to come together with us. If it’s a monster subjugation quest, we can just turn over the subjugation proof parts as the proof of completion of the quest……
「With the level of ability that you all demonstrated, I’m not worried about you in the least. However, as an examiner, I’ll have to be there for that 1 in 10,000 chance of you encountering trouble.」
Oh well, it feels the same as when you receive your provisional licence.
「Now then, you can receive the quest as a group since there are three of you.」
Thus far, I only received quests by myself but you can receive a quest as a group, too, of course.
In case of subjugation of a strong monster, adventurers tend to form a party.
The members seem to divide the reward between them.
As for the quest completion count in respect of rank up, the quest is considered complete for every member of the party.
「You all can discuss before accepting the quest……」
Upon hearing Bays-san’s words, the three of us looked at each other.
「Are you fine with it, Lim?」
Arnold-san meant to confirm whether she would be willing to work with a man other than her father.
These words of his were out of concern for his daughter.
Had I not heard the story back there, I wouldn’t have understood the meaning underlying his words.
「Just now, I received sweets from Seiji……It was really delicious.」
「Hoho」
Seeing Lim opening up a bit, Arnold-san gazed at me, grinning broadly.
……Suggesting something along the lines, ‘the fish took the bait.’
「——Oya, are you by any chance Seiji-san?」
Upon a third person’s voice, I turned around to find a familiar face……Err.
……
……Glancing at me.
「Long time no see——Batteau-san.」
To remember the face of an adventurer he met just once, he’s cut out to be a merchant.
「I didn’t hear from you after that. How are you? Have you gotten accustomed to the life as an adventurer?」
「Thank you for caring. I’m taking the promotion exam to rank D.」
「Is that so?……If I remember correctly, you newly became an adventurer……when you received the parting gift from Jig-san, didn’t you?」
「Yes. This past one week, I have been subjugating monsters using that very sword.」
「That’s……amazingly fast.」
After quickly greeting Arnold-san and Lim, Batteau-san turned around to face Bays-san.
「We are indebted to you.」
「Not at all, the guild can’t exist without clients, after all. Did you visit in relation to another quest?」
These two seemed to be acquainted with each other.
Did they know each other merely as a staff member of the guild and a client?
「Yes. I am going to Pascam port town in the west in relation to procurement, so I came here to request escorts.」
「I see. Pascam highway escort……should be a rank D quest, no?」
「Yes. I want to reach by the sunset, so I’ll be departing in the morning. If someone could accept right now, I would be really grateful.」
Bays-san fell silent, pondering over something.
「Guys, a trip to and from Pascam will take 2 days……Are you fine with it?」
The two beastkin were fine with it, so they nodded.
Oh well……I don’t have any problem either.
——Dario-san……
「Batteau-san, are you okay with the people here receiving the quest? I’ll be going along with them as their examiner. If it won’t be inconvenient for you, that is.」
「I see. It’s part of the exam, huh?……It may be inappropriate of me to ask in front of them but……According to you, Bays-san, what is the level of ability of these three?」
Thinking from Batteau-san’s point of view, who would be entrusting his life and goods to us, he was justified to ask that question.
「Yes, their assessment was perfect……To the extent that I’m contemplating whether or not to become an adventurer again and start training.」
Satisfied, Batteau-san turned around to face us.
「I’m grateful to you for giving me an opportunity to be acquainted with promising adventurers. I thank you in anticipation.」
He bowed courteously.
Aah, that……is an important characteristic of a successful merchant, certainly.
——As it turned out, for the quest, as part of the secondary exam, we became Batteau-san’s escorts.
The reward was 1,000 Dalas per day per person. Since it was a 2-day-long round trip, the reward ended up as 2,000 Dalas.
In addition, the client would bear the inn expenses in Pascam.
In case monsters and thieves were taken out en route, the spoils would be distributed amongst the escorts.
Will it really be such a place?
……It was somewhat short of what I could earn in a day but it depended on the type of the quest. If I threw a tantrum, I would be seen as a kid.
As for Bays-san, there would be no reward for him.
They were paid salary by the guild. They could also claim the inn expenses.
Even if he didn’t lend a hand, it was still profit to have a rank B equivalent, Bays-san, as an escort, for essentially free.
「It’s about time for 8 bells. I’ll have you complete your preparations. We will meet at the west gate at 9 bells.」
「Okay」 「Un」 「Understood」
Now that we were dismissed for the time being, I decided to return to Feeder Pops’.
「Oya, that was quick. What was the result?」
「Oh, you haven’t eaten the lunch I made for you, yet, it seems.」
Not just Flower-san, even Dario-san had come out of the kitchen when I returned.
Were they perhaps concerned about my promotion exam……?
「Nope, actually I’ll be going to Pascam in the west in relation to the secondary exam. Therefore, I’ll be staying there tonight. However, I’ll be back by tomorrow night, so I will leave my luggage here. Since I have already paid, I would like you to keep the room reserved.」
I had prepaid for one week. I can’t have anyone else use room # 205 for It’s my room now.
I went upstairs to the room, stuffed a change of clothes and some medicines into a leather bag, went back downstairs to first floor and headed to the water well to fill the flask.
After the intense body movement earlier, I was feeling thirsty, so I quenched my thirst, too.
Puha~……Alright then, it’s about time.
When I went back to the dining area, Dario-san was at the counter, unexpectedly.
Actually, isn’t it normal for him to take over from Flower-san since he doesn’t cook at this time?
「Leaving so soon? Did you eat the dessert I gave you with the lunch today? As for the feedback, you can give me when you return.」
Oh god……
「I-I’m sorry. That dessert……I gave it to a girl I met at the exam……」
「N? Is that so? What was her reaction?」
「When I saw her eating it, I was regretting the fact that I offered it to her.」
「Haha! I see. Wait……」
Dario-san quickly went inside the kitchen and came back with something, wrapped.
「Take this.」
What Dario-san handed me was fruit pie for two.
「Eh!? Are you sure?」
「Flower and I have already had our fill. Also, I would feel bad charging you for the room without you staying. Don’t be modest. All the best for the exam.」
Dario-san saw me off, smiling.
Aah……How do I put it?
——I want to protect this smile.
「Well then, I’ll be off.」