#1002 An S-Rank Adventurer’s Assistant

My name’s Murshela.

I’m an A-rank adventurer under the Adventurer’s Guild.

Then again, it’s not that I’ve got a bunch of impressive feats under my belt or anything.

I just happen to be one of those lucky folks who just sort of slipped through the ranks to the top.

Kinda like finding a golden ticket in a candy bar.

In my case, my biggest stroke of luck is being the exclusive supporter of the legendary S-rank adventurer, Lord Golden Bat.

Thanks to that, I managed to hitch a ride on his coattails and snag my A-rank promotion.

Lord Golden Bat has a long list of achievements, so even being a small part of his exploits is enough to earn some serious street cred.

But I can’t help feeling a bit guilty about it. I mean, it’s not really my accomplishments that are being recognized, right?

Sure, I made it to A-rank, but I’m always reminding myself, “It’s not your own merit,” and “Don’t let it go to your head.”

These days, I’m all fired up about continuing to support Lord Golden Bat, whether in his shadow or in the sunlight, as he blazes his trail as an adventurer.

But then, my everyday life got hit by a twist.

The first big news was S-rank adventurer Lord Silver Wolf announced his retirement.

It doesn’t directly concern me since S-rank adventurers are like stars in the sky, way out of my reach. No direct contact, no connection. Different worlds.

But for Lord Golden Bat, it was a different story...

Apparently, despite being top-tier themselves, Lord Golden Bat and Lord Silver Wolf had some kind of rivalry or tension.

When Golden Bat heard the news of Silver Wolf’s retirement, he went ballistic.

He was seriously ticked off.

I never noticed it myself while serving him, but it seems Lord Golden Bat had harbored a rivalry with Lord Silver Wolf for quite some time. So, when Silver Wolf retired before him, he saw it as a sneaky victory.

I was shocked.

From where I stood, Lord Golden Bat was clearly superior to Lord Silver Wolf in every way as an adventurer.

Achievements, skills—you name it, Lord Golden Bat outshined everyone. No one could keep up with him.

I thought he didn’t care about any other adventurers, that they were all beneath his notice.

So, the idea that he viewed Lord Silver Wolf as a rival never crossed my mind.

But once Lord Silver Wolf retired, his competitive spirit erupted, and he started going off the rails.

Apparently, Lord Silver Wolf’s retirement was partly to step back from the front lines and focus on being a guild master. So, when Lord Golden Bat decided to quit the Adventurer’s Guild and start his own organization to compete with him, I didn’t know what to do.

There was no way I could abandon Lord Golden Bat.

I even considered leaving the guild to help him with his new venture, but thanks to Lord Silver Wolf’s persuasion, Lord Golden Bat eventually returned to the guild, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I used to think that Lord Silver Wolf, in every way, fell short of Lord Golden Bat.

No, it’s not that he wasn’t great—getting to S-rank is no small feat. The effort and challenges to get there are unimaginable.

And as an A-rank adventurer, it’s not my place to judge.

But even among S-rank adventurers, there are levels. And Lord Golden Bat is the cream of the crop.

I thought nothing could influence him.

But even among S-rank adventurers, there’s a pecking order. I always thought Golden Bat was the best of the best. So, the idea that Golden Bat could be influenced by someone else seemed impossible to me.

In reality, Lord Golden Bat was totally fixated on Lord Silver Wolf, who joined at the same time.

It was Lord Silver Wolf’s presence that pushed Lord Golden Bat to give it everything he had, driving him to achieve the greatest feats among all S-rank adventurers.

When you think about it, it’s both surprising and makes perfect sense.

On the flip side, it seems Lord Silver Wolf climbed all the way to becoming the Guild Master by sticking to his own path without worrying about anyone else.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine that world.

Anyway, it looked like Lord Golden Bat was back, and the commotion had settled down. But it wasn’t going to be that easy.

I mean, we’re talking about Lord Golden Bat here; there’s bound to be more trouble.

That’s just Golden Bat for you.

How long can Lord Silver Wolf keep managing Lord Golden Bat’s grand golden escapades as Guild Master?

I’ll just sit back and enjoy the show…

...Or so I thought. But I was way too naive.

Lord Golden Bat’s brilliant but wild ideas don’t discriminate who they drag in.

***

“...Hey, Murshela.”

“Sir!”

Lord Golden Bat called out to me, and I snapped to attention.

What could it be this time?

Is it about preparing for the next quest?

If so, everything’s ready. Supplies are stocked, we’ve got the map of the target area, and local allies are secured. All we need is for the legendary Golden Bat to make a grand entrance!

“I’m removing you from my support team.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”

Hold on, wait a minute! My brain just exploded with that unexpected bombshell.

Forget about quest prep.

What does he mean, removing me from his support team?!

I’ve been learning so much by sticking by Lord Golden Bat’s side.

How am I supposed to make it as an adventurer without him?!

“Calm down and listen. Of course, this isn’t just a whim. I’ve thought it through as deep as the ocean.”

Of course!

It’s not because I’m useless and he’s had enough of me!

...Ah!

Unless, could it be, he thinks I’m ready to strike out on my own?!

Has Lord Golden Bat been that impressed with me all along?!

“I’m thinking of practicing some expulsion.”

Huh?

What does he mean by that?

“You know how I tried to get back at Silver Wolf by expelling myself last time? That didn’t go so well.”

You mean when you left the guild and tried to start a new group?

Wasn’t that more of you storming off and causing a scene rather than an expulsion?

Besides, Lord Silver Wolf has way more support and does a great job holding everything together, so there’s no way to exploit any weaknesses, right?

...Yeah, even from my biased Golden Bat perspective, I have to admit, when it comes to popularity, Silver Wolf is unbeatable.

“I know that!!!”

Whoa, there’s no need to shout.

Being emotionally intense is one of Lord Golden Bat’s quirks.

“That’s why I want to practice pinpointing the issues one by one! And Murshela, you’re the perfect test subject!!!”

A test subject, sir?

“You’ve supported my adventures for years! My success is thanks to your help! You’re my treasure!!!”

I can’t believe he thinks so highly of me…!

I’m honored! Hearing that makes my whole adventuring career worthwhile!

“If I unjustly fire you, it’s a classic expulsion scenario, right?”

And with his next words, all that worth vanished.

“Without your support, I’ll probably fall from grace. Meanwhile, you’re so competent that you’ll adapt and thrive in a new environment!”

What kind of reasoning is this?

“Then, when the roles of the expelled and the expeller play out, I’ll study the dynamics. Next time, when I’m expelled from the Adventurer’s Guild, I’ll use it to make my grand comeback!!!”

So basically, he still hasn’t given up on being the hero of an expulsion story.

And he wants to use me as his guinea pig. That boldness is so typical of him...

...That wild imagination is exactly what made him the top S-rank adventurer!

Amazing, I’m in awe!!!