#1282 Junior’s Adventure – Who Might You Be 

Countermeasure: Terra Beast. 
And with that, the quest is cleared. 

“Uhooooooohhhh! We did itttttttttttttttttttt!!” 

Bwah! 
Hibina dives straight into me. The impact knocks the air right out of my lungs. 

“You’re amazing, Junyaa! That was an S-rank performance if I’ve ever seen one! We should just promote you to S-rank already, no objections here!” 

Uh, I’m pretty sure it is problem for a mere adventurer like her to decide that. 

The other adventurers around us are roaring with cheers and applause, a full-blown standing ovation. 

Well, if everyone’s happy, then... 
I guess that’s good? 

“Unbelievable… Is this really the power of a single adventurer?!” 
“First time seeing him in action, Sarimel? That’s Junior’s true ability for you.” 

Receptionist Sarimel and A-rank adventurer Shaldot are both staring at me, completely dumbfounded. 

“I didn’t think he was this strong either. I figured he was some kind of unarmed combat specialist, but to fire off a large-scale annihilation spell solo? That’s cheating...!” 
“Was that even magic…? To think he was such a powerful individual all this time… I’ve been so rude to him...!” 

No need to beat yourself up about it. 

Sarimel takes a deep breath, regains her composure, and switches back into her professional mode. 

“Mr. Junior.” 
“Ah...yes, ma’am!” 

Her dignified tone carries that unmistakable sense of guild pride. 

“Your efforts in defeating the beast were truly commendable. On behalf of the Adventurer’s Guild, allow me to express our deepest gratitude.” 

No, really, I just did what any decent person might do...or not do. 

“We will record your achievements in full and see to it that you receive a reward worthy of your performance. Most likely, you’ll be given a special promotion. Please prepare yourself.” 
 “P-Promotion?” 

I just became an adventurer yesterday! 
I don’t even know what rank I am yet! 

“My apologies... All adventurers start from rank F. However, rank F is merely a provisional status, and most are quickly promoted to E after completing their first few quests. E-rank is where a real adventurer’s journey begins.” 

Hmm, I see. 

“But your exceptional performance will likely earn you a much greater leap. Rank B... no, even rank A is within reach. A first-day promotion of that scale is unprecedented. Your name will go down in guild history.” 
“Junyaa’s already surpassing me?!” 

C-rank adventurer Hibina writhes in mock agony. 

“But really, it’s only fair if we’re judging by ability! Honestly, why stop at A-rank? Just make him S-rank already!” 
“Promoting someone to S-rank isn’t so simple. S-rank adventurers represent all adventurers. It’s not just about strength; character and intellect are equally vital. Those must be properly evaluated over time.” 

As she says that, Sarimel fixes her sharp gaze on me. 

“I do admit, he’s a strong candidate for S-rank. However, brute strength alone cannot claim the summit of adventurers.” 
“R-Right...!” 
“It’s my duty as a guild official to assess your character and intellect. I’ll be observing you closely from now on. Don’t think you’ll get any breaks.” 

...Oh no. I think I’ve been marked by a bigwig. 
That’s… kind of suffocating. 
I inherited my dad’s tendency to get nervous under watchful eyes, so I’m bound to mess up and perform at half power. 

“Are you listening, Mr. Junior?” 
“Yes! Mother!” 
“I’m not your mother.” 

Gyaaaah! 
That’s the classroom “accidental mom call” nightmare come true! 
Ugh, I really can’t handle being the center of attention. 

“Don’t misunderstand me. I truly expect great things from you. I may have treated you poorly at first, but you’ve proven to be a rare talent. I owe you an apology.” 

Sarimel bows gracefully. 
It’s quite the change from when I first met her. 

“To be assigned to support someone of your caliber is an honor in itself. The higher you rise, the greater pride we guild staff will feel for having helped you.” 
“Like, ‘I’m the one who raised that kid!’ sort of thing?” 
“And you. I do hope you’ll mature beyond that kind of remark someday.” 

She cuts off Hibina’s teasing with a cold, perfect tone. 

“Since I’m your assigned officer now, I’ll be training you thoroughly. Work hard to reach S-rank as soon as possible.” 

Why do I feel like I’ve just been railroaded into something…? 

“Guild staff see their assigned adventurers’ success as their own career boost,” Shaldot whispers to me. “If you don’t want to be controlled, better say no early. You don’t actually need guild backing to make it big. Especially not Sarimel. She’s ambitious as hell. The next thing you know, you’ll have every hour of your day scheduled.” 

That’s terrifying. 
But I’m cursed with my dad’s “can’t-say-no” genes. 
Escaping this will be tough. 

“Hey! Don’t go cozying up to him now that he’s strong! Junyaa’s my partner in crime!” 
“You’re only C-rank. You’ll just hold him back. For the sake of the guild, step aside!” 

And now they’re fighting. Like, full-on catfight levels of fighting. 

What should I do? If I step in, this’ll only get worse, won’t it? 
Dad definitely never had to deal with this kind of nonsense. 

While I’m stuck wondering what to do, yet another figure comes rushing over from the direction of the capital. 

“Make way, make way! Ah, blast it, my back! Why now of all times... Owww!” 

Isn't that the Guildmaster?! 
It’s the former Silver Wolf himself. It’s been ages since I last saw him. He’s aged a lot. 

“Guildmaster, what are you doing here now?” 
“What kind of greeting is that?! I dragged my aching body here to help, you know!” 

Apparently, he’s thrown out his back, yet still got carried all the way here. 
That’s… dedication? Or madness. 

“I may be retired, but it’s still my duty as the Guildmaster to protect people when the current adventurers are away, even if it kills me!” 

Ohh...! 
That’s the spirit of a true old-school adventurer. 

“No worries, Guildmaster. The situation’s already been handled.” 
“What?! How?!” 
“By our newest rising star, Junior!” 

Ta-dah. She gestures toward me. 
Our eyes meet. 

“Junior… wait, that Junior?!” 
“Long time no see, haha.” 
“I thought you looked familiar! You’ve grown so much, I almost didn’t recognize you!” 

He's like an uncle at a family reunion. 
Sarimel, however, stays completely composed. 

“Junior’s performance was extraordinary. I recommend promoting him to A-rank immediately, and in time, even S-rank...!” 
“YOU FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!” 

The Guildmaster’s roar shakes the room. 
Isn’t that bad for your back?! 

“Before we talk about ranks and promotions, there’s something far more important! I told you to report every new registration to me personally, didn’t I?!” 
“Y-Yes, sir, but his registration was only yesterday, and his achievements today seemed far more urgent to report…” 
“That’s exactly why! I told you there’s a reason for those reports! Of course he’s S-rank level—that’s obvious! But we can’t just make him S-rank so casually!” 
“What do you mean?!” 

Sarimel looks genuinely confused. 
The Guildmaster, however, keeps going without missing a beat. 

“Junior here is Lord Saint’s son! The heir to the Farm Kingdom’s throne! Promoting him to S-rank would make it look like we’re trying to recruit royalty into the guild’s ranks! The other nations would lose their minds!” 
“Eh?” 

Every pair of eyes in the room turns to me. 

“Yup, he’s a pwince.” 
“Pwince-y pwince.” 

The earth spirits say it in the most unhelpfully flat tone possible. 

“He’s Lord Saint’s son. It’d be weird if he wasn’t strong enough for S-rank! He already passed the S-rank trial when he was like five or six! I saw it myself!” 

Oh, yeah. 
That did happen. I'm sorry about that whole “crashing the trial by accident” thing back then. 

“His father rewrote the fabric of the world once. Making his kid S-rank isn’t our decision to make! I even taught the boy myself back in the day! I know what he’s capable of better than anyone!” 

Both Sarimel and Shaldot go pale. 
They did say that anyone who trained me must’ve been some random amateur. 

Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. 
Promise.