#1004 The Birth of a New S-Rank Adventurer

Adventurer’s Guild, Reception Room.

I, Murshela, was suddenly ambushed by none other than the legendary Silver Wolf seated right across from me.

“Silver Wolf Martial Arts: Fang Crusher Fist!!!”

“Whoa-!”

I barely managed to react in time to the perfect surprise attack.

I dodged the first few rapid punches, maybe five, but they were coming too fast for me to keep up. I had to jump back to avoid getting hit.

Since I was sitting down, I ended up awkwardly rolling around on the ground.

“Impressive reaction speed. I didn’t expect you to hold off that long. Even though I’ve retired from the front lines, I didn’t think I had gone this rusty...”

What is he talking about?

I should have been able to block all those consecutive punches to truly say I ‘held off,’ but instead, I couldn’t take it and ended up falling over.

If a follow-up attack had come while I was down and off balance, I would have been done for.

This is exactly what you’d expect from a former S-rank adventurer, especially one as formidable as Silver Wolf, who fought alongside Lord Golden Bat.

And then...

“Was that sneak attack to test my skills, sir?”

“Indeed, as expected from an active adventurer. If you’d called me an assailant, I’d be in serious trouble.”

“Not even with his wife vouching for him would he be safe, meow.”

Sneak attacks are common in the adventurer world.

Your skill is mostly gauged by how you handle unexpected situations.

So, getting attacked out of nowhere is pretty much everyday life for us.

“Well... what was the point of testing my skills out of the blue, Guild Master?”

Lord Silver Wolf replies, “Your skill is indeed worthy of being called Golden Bat’s asset. Most adventurers couldn’t react to my sneak attack. They’d barely last two or three hits before getting a face full of fists.”

“Mulshera, you blocked five strikes and then wisely retreated when you knew you couldn’t handle more. That’s top-notch reflexes and judgment for an adventurer, meow.”

“Few can respond so aptly, even among A-rank adventurers. This proves you are a cut above the rest.”

The Guild Master and his wife are showering me with praise, but I don’t know how to respond.

I also still don’t know what they want from me.

“And now for the main point, Mulshera: we want to promote you to an S-rank adventurer.”

“Hm?”

Wait...Hm?!

Did I hear that right?

Did they say S-rank? Promotion?!

“Last year, we held a large-scale S-rank promotion exam, but only one person passed. We need to fill the gaps left by myself and Black Cat.”

“We’ve been looking for another promising candidate. So we’ve been keeping an eye out for talents like you, meow.”

And now I’ve caught their eye?

No way!

“No, no, no, no, no, no! I can’t handle S-rank! I couldn’t even block your sneak attack, sir!”

I couldn’t fend off that surprise attack earlier.

If I could’ve completely countered Lord Silver Wolf’s assault, it would mean I’m truly S-class material, wouldn’t it?

“Don’t get cocky, meow,” Lady Black Cat says sharply. “Even adventurers of the same rank can vary a lot. You’re one of the more promising A-rankers, even being one worth looking out for. If you were S-rank, you’d just about meet the minimum requirements with some potential thrown in, meow.”

What a brutal assessment...!

But it’s this level of strictness that defines an S-rank adventurer...!

“S-rank adventurers vary in skill too. Even in my prime, I never felt I could beat Silver Wolf or Golden Bat, meow.”

“As long as you meet the minimum standards of an S-rank, that’s good enough for now. Murshela, you have the skills and you’re still young with room to grow. With the experiences you’ll gain as an S-rank, you’ll quickly become one of the strongest adventurers around.”

“You’re at the same level as Corey, who we recruited recently, meow.”

The guild master couple praised me one after another.

To be rated so highly...

...No, no, no, no, no!

I can’t just go along with this!

I have a lifelong mission to support Lord Golden Bat!

Becoming an S-rank adventurer feels far too presumptuous!

Being on the same level as Lord Golden Bat is way beyond me!

“Um, um... I’m very honored by your high praise, but I’ve decided to support Lord Golden Bat, so such a lofty position feels overwhelming...”

“You were dismissed from being his assistant, weren’t you?”

Urk!

When you put it that way...!

“But that’s... more like a play, or practice for the ultimate comeback, sir...!”

“Then let’s hear from Golden Bat himself. No point in discussing it without him.”

“Wha-?!”

“If you need his opinion to decide, then let’s go get it.”

With that, Lord Silver Wolf stands up.

He leaves the room and heads toward... where Lord Golden Bat is?!

***

“...Oh, there you are. Heeeey!”

Lord Golden Bat is famous, so he’s easy to spot.

If you can’t find him, he’s probably out on an adventure.

“Oryaaaaaaaah! Take this, you slackers! Do you think you can serve under me with skills like thaaaaaat?!”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEK!”

What’s Lord Golden Bat doing?

He’s chasing a bunch of young adventurers with a wooden sword?

“Hey, Golden Bat, what are you doing?”

Lord Silver Wolf voiced the same question I had, which was a relief.

“Huh? Silver Wolf? The hell you doing here? I’m busy whipping these rookies into shape!”

Whipping into shape?

...Ah, to fill the gap left by my absence.

“It’s part of the eviction reenactment plan. I wanted to try out that classic ‘fired and replaced by someone useless, making people realize how valuable the original was!!!’“

“Huh. Well? Is that plan of yours working?”

So, Lord Golden Bat was also keeping tabs on the whole banishment plot!

Those rookies can’t possibly measure up to the flawless support I provided!

“Everyone is mediocre, and it’s a real problem! Roggy over there has got scouting skills that almost rival Murshela’s! Insas could probably stand in for Murshela in a fight! Koginbo’s got potential for backup support! So, basically, the three of them together might add up to one Murshela!”

Haa...

Huh? Normally, these guys wouldn’t even come close, but it only takes a bunch of them to barely match up to me? Does that mean I’m only half-competent at best...?!

“Time to whip these guys into shape from scratch! Specialized skills won’t get you anywhere in the real world! A true adventurer can handle anything that comes their way!”

“True enough. Teamwork only counts once everyone can hold their own. Golden Bat, you’re an S-rank adventurer, so you should be training the next generation... glad to see you’re on board with this idea.”

“Huh?”

“Turns out you’ve got a knack for it, too. You’re helping shape folks who can make it to S-rank.”

Both Silver Wolf and Golden Bat simultaneously turn their gazes toward me.

“Well, well, Murshela! Looks like you’re climbing the ladder of success after being kicked out! As expected of my support role! I can’t fall behind! As the model exile, I’ll use my downfall as a springboard and achieve the ultimate comeback!”

“And what exactly are you aiming for?”

A perfectly reasonable question from Lord Silver Wolf.

But I have other things on my mind.

Does this mean I can’t refuse the promotion?

Sure, becoming an S-rank right after being kicked out by Lord Golden Bat would be the ultimate success story.

Am I unintentionally living up to his expectations?

“...But somehow, even in this field, he ends up with the best results. Should I be mad or happy about that?”

Silver Wolf mutters beside me.