#1235 Momoko’s S-Rank Adventurer Visit Hopping: Aloof 

“Miss Momoko! Thank you so much! With you here, I can rest easy about everything at headquarters!” 
“No problem! I’ll handle every single S-rank adventurer task perfectly, so Murshela, you just focus on chasing your feelings here! I read somewhere that a woman in love is at her most beautiful!!!” 

Momoko throws her full support behind Murshela’s love life. 
The two click instantly, becoming fast friends with a deep mutual understanding. 

So… does this mean Murshela has officially acknowledged Momoko? 
 That’s another S-rank trial cleared, right? 

“My apologies, Lord Saint… for dragging you into all this…!” 

Think nothing of it. 

Silver Wolf steps in, looking genuinely apologetic. 
It seems like what was supposed to be a simple personnel supplement has somehow snowballed into a much bigger deal than he expected. 

“I was hoping to stabilize the S-rank lineup because people keep joining only to leave right away, but before I knew it, this turned into a whole mess…!” 

Well, at least introducing Momoko to each of the S-rank adventurers has given you a chance to re-evaluate all their personalities, right? 

“Kato, Pink Tonton, and rookies Corey and Murshela were all lacking cohesion for various reasons. But I think she might be the one to tie them together.” 

Momoko has somehow become the team’s “lubricant” without even realizing it... 

“In that sense, her little tour has been worthwhile. Though… there’s still one final hurdle left.” 

Right. She still needs to meet with all the S-ranks. 

So far, she’s passed Kato, Pink Tonton, Corey, and Murshela. 
That just leaves the oldest, trickiest, most annoying of them all… 

Golden Bat. 

“He’s the one who stirred all this up in the first place. Facing him directly is going to be… a nightmare.” 

Even Silver Wolf looks uneasy about what’s ahead. 

But the woman in question is pumped... 

“All right! Then let’s go take down that damn bat right now! I’ll make him regret underestimating me! He’s probably still lounging around at Guild HQ, so let’s storm in and set him straight!!!” 

She’s already blazing with last-boss-bat-fight energy. 

“I’m going right this second! Hey, Saint, can I borrow your horse?!” 

Huh? 
You mean Sakamoto? 

Sure, riding him would get us from here to the Royal Capital in the Human Kingdom in five minutes instead of five days… 

But I also have to get Silver Wolf back to HQ, and Sakamoto only lets me ride him.  
The best I can offer is sharing the saddle with her. 

Which would mean… me, Silver Wolf, and Momoko. 
Three people on one horse? 

I glance at Sakamoto. 

—And he gives me a look like: “Yeah… no.” 

*** 

We head back to the farm and find Veil lazing around. I ask her for a favor. 

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” 
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!” 

The two victims scream as Veil eagle-grips them and, in 4 minutes and 27 seconds, delivers them to the capital. 

“Gwahahahahaha! Told you I was faster! The original’s always the strongest and the fastest!” 

Sakamoto arrives late and sulks. 
Silver Wolf and Momoko are wobbling on their feet from the sheer speed. 

Veil, meanwhile, transforms into her human form... 

“Thanks, Veil. Now that your job here’s done, are you heading back home?” 
“Nah. Since I’m already here in human territory, I might as well do some sightseeing.” 

Huh, surprising.  
Didn’t think she cared about human cities. 

“They say there are shops here selling ramen trying to copy my ramen. I’m here to check the competition!” 

…So it’s just a ramen tour.  
Figures. 

Still… to think someone actually copied her ramen and started selling it in town... 
Maybe some of the other dishes I brought over with my modern-world cheat knowledge have been “inspired by” and spread all over the place, too. 

I guess that means I’ve been giving this world’s gastronomic culture a little upgrade. 

Anyway, that aside, I remind myself that I still need to take care of the main reason I came here. I grab the still-wobbly Silver Wolf and Momoko by the hand and step into the Adventurer’s Guild headquarters. 

Technically, this has nothing to do with me anymore, but I’m already on this ship, so I might as well see it through. 
At this point, I have to stick around and watch Momoko officially become an S-rank adventurer. 

…Ah, wait here outside, Sakatomo. 
You can go munch on some grass until I call you. 

*** 

Inside HQ, we find Golden Bat waiting, looking smug. 

“You got here sooner than I expected.” 

Oh wow...he’s lounging on the sofa with his feet up on the table. So pompous. 

Momoko steps forward, brimming with confidence, towards this final boss-like bat therian. 

“Okay, you damn bat! I’ve passed four S-ranks already, now it’s just you! Hurry up and acknowledge me!!!” 
“Hmph. Being recognized by a bunch of half-baked rookies means nothing. Until you’re approved by the true adventurer at the top—me, Golden Bat—it’s all meaningless.” 

Man, he’s still as arrogant as ever. 
If anyone needs a humility tour, it’s him. 

“Kato and Pink Tonton aren’t half-baked, you know that.” 

Yeah!  
They’ve only gotten stronger and more resolved since starting families. 

“But… you did get past those S-rankers, even if they’re beneath me. So I’ll grant you the right to face me. Come and strike from anywhere you like.” 

He stands, his voice full of challenge. 

“I won’t go easy on you. This will be live combat. If you can land even a single hit on me, you pass.” 
“You said it! But a single hit won’t be enough; I’ll give you a hundred!” 
“Bold words. Let’s see if you can back them up.” 
“In that case-” 
“Guh?!” 

Golden Bat goes flying. 

Momoko passes? 
Nope. 

Because the one who decked him mid-sentence wasn’t Momoko, it was Silver Wolf. 

The “In that case-” was him, too. 

“Fine, but if you’re going to brawl, take it outside. Not in Guild HQ.” 
“Ghh…! Silver Wolf… even if it was a surprise attack, to land a clean hit on me so easily… You truly are my only worthy rival...!” 
“Yeah, yeah, save it.” 

Silver Wolf looks done with this bat’s nonsense. 

So, they reset and head to the guild’s training space for the real match. 

“All right, no mercy! True Sword Flash Slash!” 

Momoko’s “no mercy” means she’s swinging her holy sword for real. 
Golden Bat slips aside with dazzling agility. 

“Nuuhhh! I won’t lose! Twofold! Threefold! I’ll keep slashing until I hit you!!!” 

Her strikes are way too fast for a normal person, but he keeps dodging by the thinnest margin. 

 
With that many swings, you’d think one would land, but it’s like he’s a mirage… or she’s cutting at a hologram. 

And another weird thing. 
He never counters. 

Most people under that kind of pressure would strike back at least once, but he just keeps dodging. 
That’s clearly a deliberate choice. 

“Yes… he’s choosing not to counter at all. He’s trying to break Momoko completely in his specialty. Golden Bat’s never been hit once in his adventuring career. His dodge rate is 5,000%…” 

…But he literally just got hit earlier. 

“Her final and greatest challenge is figuring out… how to land a hit on him.”