#1237 The Journey Goes on Forever 

Come to think of it, how did Silver Wolf and Kato even manage to land hits on Golden Bat? 

“There’s a lot to it, but the biggest factor is prediction. You anticipate his movements and place your attacks where he’s going to be.” 

…And there it is. Something insanely high-level again! 

“Of course, Golden Bat isn’t going to make it easy for you to predict him. So, first you throw out two, three feints to guide his movements, narrowing his options. Even then, most fighters will lose track of him after just a few exchanges. And Golden Bat’s got one or two hidden tricks, so it’s never simple. The time Kato managed to land that penetrating strike was basically a one-in-ten miracle.” 

Yeah, I can already picture the absurdly high-level mind games going on there. 

“Otherwise, your only chance is a complete surprise attack, like what I did earlier. You’ve got to kill your intent completely, or that bat will sense it instantly. Even then, the airflow will give you away unless you throw a punch that splits the air and hits in the same instant. That’s a special technique I developed just for him.” 

A “sounds easy, but is actually insane” kind of explanation. Yep… S-rank adventurers really are built different. 

Anyway, back to the problem, Momoko. 
She blasted herself with her own flash attack and got carried off to the infirmary in a self-inflicted KO. 
After about ten minutes of proper treatment… 

“…Hah!” 

She’s awake. 

“Where’s that damn bat?! What about the match?! The fate of the world?!” 

She immediately tries to get her bearings.  
That fighting spirit of hers really is something else. 

Silver Wolf gently talks her down. 

“This is the guild HQ infirmary. You took a massive hit from your own flash and lost consciousness.” 
“I see… so in the end, I couldn’t beat that damn bat…!” 

Waking up, and that’s the first thing she cares about? Her drive to win is overwhelming. 

“And the damn bat…?” 

Ah, well… once the fight ended, he already left. 

Truthfully, he took some heavy damage from that huge flash too and is probably getting patched up somewhere else.  
But of course, not in the same infirmary as Momoko. His pride wouldn’t allow it. 

If they bumped into each other here, she’d realize he didn’t walk away unscathed. 
Golden Bat clearly wants her to stew in pure, unshakable defeat.  
The guy’s pettiness is honestly impressive. 

“You couldn’t take him down, but you must have gained something from the fight, no?” 
“Urk… I guess so…”  

Momoko admits through gritted teeth, clearly still frustrated about losing. 

“To me, winning or losing has always meant killing or being killed. Ever since I got summoned to this world, that’s the only way I’ve fought.” 
“If you were in a war, you’d have no choice but to think like that.” 
“But adventurers don’t just fight. They explore dungeons, discover uncharted places… they do so many things. Until you understand that, you’re only half an adventurer. I guess… that damn bat was trying to teach me that.” 

I wonder. 
Personally, I think he was just trying to flex on the rookie... 

“If you’ve realized that much, then you’ve already won in spirit. I’d like to officially welcome you as an S-rank adventurer.” 
“Huh? But I lost to the damn bat.” 
“You’ve already been approved by four S-ranks. Golden Bat’s objections won’t change that. The authority to assign ranks ultimately lies with the guild. If I, the Guildmaster, say yes, you’re S-rank starting today.” 

Yeah, that’s how it should work.  
The Guildmaster himself is offering to appoint her, and yet… somehow things always take the long way around.  
Poor Silver Wolf, he really is a man who suffers needlessly. 

“…No! I’m still not ready to be S-rank!” 
“…What?” 

Yup. Still unresolved.  
Momoko’s got her own hang-ups. 

“Seeing the active S-ranks made me realize something. They’re all elite… no, self-made elites, completely specialized in living, not just fighting.” 

Uh… “elite” and “self-made” don’t really go together, but okay. 

“I’m still a combat-focused hero. If I want to be an S-rank adventurer, I need to rebuild myself to suit the role better.” 

Huh. So, she’s actually kind of serious about this.  
Maybe she was in a sports club back in her old world, because she’s talking exactly like an athlete. 

“I still need to put in more work before I can be S-rank! I’ll get myself in perfect shape for it, so give me some more time!” 
“…A perfectionist?!” 

There’s no stopping her once she’s fired up like this.  
I guess we’ll just have to let her do things her way. 

“Ah… her appointment’s getting pushed back even further…!”  

Silver Wolf groans. 
He must be thinking about the mountain of quests he was hoping she’d handle. 

“…Wait, I’ve got it!” 

As expected from a sharp, newly appointed Guildmaster. 
He comes up with an idea on the spot... 

“In that case, I’ll recommend the perfect training ground for an adventurer like you who wants to take the next step!” 
“What?! You’d do that for me?! Wow, the guild really does go above and beyond for its members!” 

Momoko takes the bait instantly.  
From here on, this is going to be Silver Wolf’s stage for top-tier negotiation skills. 

There’s not much left for me to do, so I slip out of the infirmary and go looking for a certain someone. I find him… groaning on a rooftop? 

A rooftop? 
Golden Bat. I get not wanting to go into the infirmary, but why here? 

“Fool. A true S-rank never shows their pathetic side—not to anyone.” 

Yeah, but… a rooftop? 

“Anyway, since you’re here, how about giving me some first aid? Got any medicine? At least some water? Useless…” 

… 
Right. Sorry for being so inconsiderate. 
I pull out a magic potion Platy gave me for emergencies and sprinkle it on him. 
BOOM. 

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!” 

Ah. That was the explosive potion. 

Whoopsie-daisy. Saint goofed.  
My bad. 

*** 

A few days later... 
Momoko’s fully recovered and ready to head out for her training. 

And where is this training ground? 

According to Silver Wolf, it’s deep in the far south, far from the Human Kingdom’s royal capital and in the opposite direction of the Demon Kingdom. 
A remote, forbidden place where people rarely tread. They say anyone who ventures too far never comes back. 

“Just hearing about it makes me excited! This is going to be real training!” 

She’s brimming with motivation even before we set out.  
Is training her hobby or something?  
She’s basically a shounen manga protagonist at this point. 

“They say that deep within lies one of the most famous and dangerous dungeons among adventurers...the Forest of Lost Paths!!!” 

…Forest of Lost Paths?  

That name sounds… awfully familiar. 

“I know, right? It’s the kind of name you hear everywhere! But this place is a shifting, impregnable dungeon where even veteran adventurers risk getting lost. Only those specially chosen by the guild are allowed in!” 

Well… I guess it would sharpen your instincts and survival skills. 

“I’ll endure this trial and become the ultimate S-rank adventurer!!!” 

How many trials does she need before she’s satisfied?  
She’s starting to sound like a trial addict. 

“…Hey, Saint?” 

Hmm? 

“Why are you here?” 

Oh, I figured it’d be nice to take the kids somewhere new.  
Family trips are important, you know? 

“Thanks for having ussss.” 
 “Off to see new worldssss.” 

Aww, my kids are so polite. 

“Kyaaa! They’re so cute! …Wait, no! We’re heading to an uncharted dungeon, not some family vacation spot!!!” 

And with that, Momoko lands a perfect retort.