Bonus Short Stories

The Men’s Drunken Merrymaking

Many adventurers loved drinking, with some of them even going so far as to hit up a tavern immediately after finishing a quest, to spend the entire night in a drinking frenzy. The Fairy’s Song, the establishment owned and managed by Clare, was one such place where this tended to happen. With mugs filled to the brim in hand, adventurers celebrated having survived one more day, and bragged of their exploits. At tables where patrons got a bit too worked up, arm wrestling matches would break out, which in turn would lead to everyone getting more and more excited.

The enthusiasm in the air tonight was even more boisterous than usual, and the amount of foot traffic was markedly higher. This also happened to be one of the rare days when Uld, Clare’s husband, was back in town and having a celebration with his own party members.

“Nice, Heath won this time! Well, he does have more power than Moi, so it makes sense.”

“The place sure is packed tonight! Did something happen? You know anything about it, Uld-san?”

“You idiot, have you already forgotten? You heard the announcement at the guild about the festival that’s starting soon, right? Grabbing a room in this city would be impossible on the day itself, so they’re probably arriving early to secure a place.”

“Oh, riiight! The festival! It’s soon!”

“You seriously forgot, man?”

“Hahaha, the only thing on my mind was coming here to grab a pint.”

“But still, isn’t it great how the ceremony is being held where we live this time? Here’s a toast to Kelvin!”

Twitch.

The teenager sitting at the table with these muscular veteran adventurers — though he himself was also quite bulky — trembled once. As the party leader, Uld did not miss it.

“You’ve been pretty quiet since that day, kid. Is it still bothering you?”

“Oh, shut up, get off my case alre—”

“WHOOOAAAAAAA!”

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted from the arm wrestling area, drowning out the youngster’s voice. Naturally, all eyes turned in the direction of the noise.

“So it is still bothering you. That you lost to Rion-chan in arm wrestling.”

“Don’t remind me!!”

The teenager yelled to his heart’s content for a moment, then collapsed over the table.

“Glad to see you still have that much energy in you.”

“I mean...I mean...not a single good thing has happened to me since I came to this city! Who the hell was it who told me Parth is a beginner-friendly place?! It’s filled with monsters!”

One of the other party members almost choked on his drink. “Uh, it’s pretty much only that one group that’s filled with monsters, all right? Sure, you’re still a bit lacking in experience, but your growth is actually quite fast by normal standards.”

“Being comforted by a middle-aged bachelor definitely doesn’t make me feel better!”

“Oh, you wanna go there? You said it! You said the taboo word!”

“Guys, I’m begging you, please don’t cause a scene here, okay? Clare’s going to kill me!”

“You’ll never understand how we feel!”

“You’ll never understand how we feel!”

“You’ll never understand how we feel!”

Things were starting to heat up at this particular table now too. It was surely only a matter of time before they skipped the arm wrestling and went straight to swinging fists.

“Yoohoo, Uld-dono hereee?”

“Gerard-dono!”

It was Gerard, a knight who always wore jet-black armor. He appeared suddenly, resetting the atmosphere surrounding the group. Judging from the slight slur to his words and strange mood, he had already downed more than a few drinks that day. And he was one of those lucky bastards who almost never got hangovers afterwards.

“Your timing is perfect! I’m sorry to rope you in, but please help me calm these guys down!”

“I see, so we’re speaking with our fists! Very well, leave it to me!”

“That’s not it —— don’t join in! STOP them!”

“Is...n’t that the same thing?”

Uld managed to stop Gerard right before he drew his demon sword, and desperately explained things to prevent the situation from spiraling any further out of control. He could stop his companions somehow if he went all out, but he knew for a fact that he couldn’t stop this super-grandpa even if he died trying.

Gerard would keep himself in check if either or both of his “adopted” grandchildren were present, but chances were high that they were both fast asleep at this late hour. In fact, if someone were to forcibly bring them there, the knight might be the one to cause a scene. No, not “might,” he would definitely cause a scene. So Uld devoted all of his mental resources towards providing an explanation.

“Haah, haah, haah. Seriously, you guys, it’s fine to have fun and let loose during our celebrations, but keep it to a level where you don’t cause trouble for other people. Or else do it at some other tavern.”

Uld was earnest and fervent in his pleading. And after this and that, the drinking resumed with Gerard having joined them at the table.

“Gahaha! Kelvinphobia? That’s a hilarious illness to contract! But hey, don’t worry. My king is rarely hostile to those who approach him normally. As long as you don’t try to lay hands on his family or companions, that is. You should have seen what he did to someone who tried such a thing just the other day! Of course, he completely deserved it, gahaha...”

The uncomfortable silence at the table caught the knight’s attention.

“...haha...what? Oh, don’t tell me...”

“Yep, it’s too late. This guy wanted someone to start a party with and was feeling a bit...bold.”

“Oh...”

In the midst of all the excitement in the tavern, the area surrounding the teenager had taken on the atmosphere of a funeral.

“B-But not to worry, young man! You’re...still alive! If my king gets serious, there’s no way your limbs would still be intact!”

His mental state aside, the boy appeared to be absolutely fine. Gerard repeatedly assured him that things were all right, but the information he’d shared just happened to be a bit too close for comfort.

“That...is not comforting at all...”

“Then how about I comfort you?” came a voice from behind them.

“Oh, my king!”

“Shit, it’s Kelvin?!”

“Do you have to act that surprised? It kinda hurts.”

Without anyone having noticed, Kelvin had approached and was standing behind the teenager’s back. Although he wasn’t holding his staff, he was wearing his characteristic battle-ready black robe. He showed up at the tavern at night every once in a while, so him being there wasn’t actually that unusual.

“By the way, Gerard, this young man here is the one who challenged Rion to an arm wrestling match, right? Which means he held her hand, didn’t he?”

“So, you like arm wrestling, young man! How about you have a match against me this time? Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you. We’re just playing around.”

“Your tone is completely different from just a second ago!!”

“Hey, kid, it’s fine. Gerard’s arm is only about twice as strong as Rion’s.”

“What do you mean by, ‘It’s fine’?!”

The pressure emanating from the towering knight, who had already assumed an arm wrestling position, completely broke the boy’s heart. It seemed the brother with a sister complex was furious after all.

The Goddess’s Gourmet Tour in Parth

The Parthian Gourmet Guide

When talking about the gourmet scene in Parth, one simply cannot go without mentioning the Fairy’s Song. It is both an inn and a tavern that boasts a menu rich in diversity, prices that go easy on your purse strings, and a wonderfully hospitable proprietress who’s happy to cook anything you want as long as it isn’t too elaborate.

Most important of all is that each and every dish that comes out of the kitchen is absolutely delicious. During normal meal times, the place is filled with locals, young adventurers, and guests who are staying there, so we recommend that you visit a bit earlier or later.

The proprietress of the Fairy’s Song has handled the cooking on her own for years, but there are rumors that she’s recently taken on an apprentice who she’s been passing down the very essence of her techniques to. Our reporters have yet to confirm this, but based on testimony from customers who happened to be there at the right time, this apprentice is a girl of unparalleled beauty whose proficiency at cooking has already surpassed that of her mentor’s. If these rumors are indeed true, then the continued prosperity of the Fairy’s Song is guaranteed for —

---

Melfina softly closed the gourmet guide that she had purchased the day before, her light blue hair blowing in the wind. The place her feet had carried her was none other than the Fairy’s Song, the inn Kelvin and his party had been based out of until recently. The sign with the illustration of a dancing fairy was shaking a little.

“So, Clare’s cooking was delicious enough to be featured in the Parthian Gourmet Guide. I was only able to look on helplessly all this time, but now that I’ve been Summoned, things are different. I have also saved up several days’ worth of the pocket money that Honey gave me, so I have more than enough war funds. This hunger of mine that I suppressed at home yesterday so as to not cause trouble shall be satisfied in full today!”

Melfina excitedly barged into the tavern. Unfortunately, she was a bit too forceful and ended up drawing the attention of all the diners.

Ugh, I...may have forgotten myself a little just now.

Apparently, even goddesses felt embarrassment sometimes. If her wings had been manifested just then, they would have been red to their very tips.

“Oh? Aren’t you Kel-chan’s...”

Just as she was inwardly berating herself for the faux pas, by some heavenly providence, Clare noticed her standing there. Melfina slid into one of the counter seats, trying to play it cool.

“My name is Mel. I got curious after hearing so many wonderful things from everyone about your cooking, so I decided to check it out for myself today. Please keep this a secret.”

“Is that so? Goodness, I don’t think my cooking’s anything compared to what Efil-chan can make now.”

“Please, there’s no need to be so modest. By the way, what is today’s speci—”

Just then, Mel’s eyes happened to fall on a poster on the wall that was making only a token effort at asserting itself. On it was the illustration of a mountain of meat atop a large plate. The large letters underneath read, “Mammoth Lunch.”

I do feel like eating something heavy today. Oh, it’s surprisingly cheap. Let’s have that, then.

After making up her mind, Mel was quick to act. She jabbed a finger towards the poster, a smile filled with goddessly love on her face. The tiniest bit of gluttonous appetite also leaked through, but she could hardly be faulted for that, could she?

“You plan on ordering that by yourself? That’s the dish that guys doing physical labor tight on money would share among five people. It’s not really the choice I’d recommend to a dainty-looking girl like yourself. Though my husband did just bring back the ingredients, so it’s not like I can’t make it...”

“Then please make it for me!”

“I-If you say so.”

Melfina’s reply was so swift and sure that Clare couldn’t help but falter. Well, if she can’t finish it, she can call Kelvin and the others to come have the rest, she thought as she headed to the back to begin cooking.

Before long, a mountain of food appeared from the kitchen. The salad that came with it was a normal portion, which only served to make the meat dish look even more enormous. As the plate itself was also huge, Melfina had to move from the counter to a table that could seat several people.

When the food was carried out, Mel became the center of attention once again, but she no longer cared about such trivial matters. The only thing in her head was the culinary masterpiece before her.

“Thanks for your patience. Once it gets too tough to continue, don’t force yourself, all right?”

“Thank you for the concern, but it is entirely unnecessary. Without further ado, here goes!”

Melfina gracefully placed her hands together to give thanks for the food, then promptly began digging in. The way she used both fork and knife was surprisingly elegant. The look of bliss that came over her young face with every bite was impactful enough to warm the hearts of everyone present.

At least, it was in the beginning.

“Although it didn’t take you long to cook such a large quantity, the seasoning is very thorough. This is absolutely delicious. The compatibility of the meat with the ground meat sauce poured over it is exemplary, and the vegetables served along with the main dish are a wonderful accompaniment thanks to their delightful crunchiness. The potato buried within, which has thoroughly absorbed the juices from the meat, is also worthy of note and —”

That was when the other diners started to realize that something was off. Even though Melfina’s commentary was continuing nonstop, the mountain of meat before her was disappearing at an alarming rate. Thanks to her unbelievably high Agility stat, she was capable of commentating, bringing food to her mouth, chewing, and swallowing, all with ridiculous speed. But no one present was capable of seeing through such skilled technique. Consequently, it seemed to them as if some invisible presence was wolfing down the food.

“...and that’s that. Thank you for the meal.”

It had barely been three minutes when Melfina once again put her hands together, this time to signal that she was done. Every scrap of food had been completely polished off. The only thing left was the goddess’s full-faced smile.

“I’d love to order seconds, but there are many other restaurants that I also want to visit today. Clare-san, I’ll come again. Your cooking is truly delicious.”

“A-All right, sure, any time.”

With her guide book under her arm, Melfina exited the store with her head held high. The adventurers and diners present could do nothing but watch her go with blank amazement.

“Hey, dude, who was that cute girl just now?”

“What makes you think I know? Clare-san, do you?”

“She’s the newest member of Kel-chan’s party. She sure has an appetite!”

“Kelvin-san’s?! Ahh...no wonder, then.”

“Ohhh, that makes sense. That explains it.”

Melfina’s debut had been quite striking indeed, but the people of Parth were surprisingly quick to accept her.

The Apprentice Maid Goes Shopping with Clotho

If one were to list places that stood out in Parth, the clock tower would surely be mentioned. Famous as a symbol of the city, the structure was very much a tourist attraction. However, there was another place that the residents of Parth were whispering about as of late. It was the mansion where the city’s one and only Rank A adventurer, Kelvin, lived.

A large estate would stand out by its nature alone, enough to draw the gaze of many passersby. Any who did look would quickly notice the golems at the door. These knight-like constructs that normally wouldn’t move an inch while standing guard emanated an overwhelming presence that further added to the conspicuousness of the place. Most people who entertained unsavory thoughts regarding the property would think twice after a single look at them.

“Mr. Knight, bye-bye!”

Surprisingly, these golems also had a playfulness to them where they would wave back if a child acknowledged them. This also contributed to their rising fame. Apparently, some found the contrast between this side of the creatures and the first impression they gave off endearing.

“Mom, I’m off to do the shopping now!”

“Take care, all right? I’ve heard talk about strange people around here lately.”

“It’ll be fine, Clotho will be with me!”

“Hmm, that’s true. Well, all right, off you go, then.”

“Be back soon!”

The girl who energetically dashed out of the house that had generated such talk was the apprentice maid, Ruka. With a miniature Clotho clone on her tiny shoulder, she was heading off to perform one of her duties: shopping for groceries.

“Clotho, it’s unhealthy to be floating in the fountain all day long, all right? You gotta go out for a walk sometimes too! What? What do you mean by that ‘X’?”

Clotho had attempted to reply that it was working even while floating in the fountain by contorting its body, but Ruka failed to catch its meaning. When the slime finally gave up and shook itself in resignation, the young girl turned her attention away and continued barreling down the road. Compared to other kids her age, she was quite — no, she was extremely fast. That was one of the more obvious results of the power-leveling she had received from being in Kelvin’s party.

“Oh! Honey, Ruka-chan’s come.”

“Hm? You’re right, that way of running is Ruka-chan’s style without a doubt. Has she gotten faster?”

The old couple managing a fruit and vegetable store turned their heads toward the approaching footsteps in a familiar manner. The first time she had run up to them that way, they’d gotten quite a shock, but humans were adaptable creatures, after all.

“Aaaaand I’ve arrived! Mister! Missus! Good morning!”

“Good morning to you too. I’m glad to see you so energetic today.”

“I have allll the energy! Yay!”

“It seems like you still have a lot to learn as an apprentice, though.”

“Y-You aren’t supposed to bring that up!”

Ruka and her mother had been hired to serve as maids at Kelvin’s home. Unlike her mother, however, Ruka had the word “apprentice” in her title. In order to become a full-fledged maid quickly, she spent every day pouring herself into improving at her job. She would do her best in tag so as to be able to run faster; she would play with Rion, Kelvin’s little sister; she would learn how to use a sword from Gerard — in any case, she was definitely making an effort. The direction that her efforts were taking her might have been a bit off and she might have been straight out playing sometimes, but she was most certainly doing her best.

“Are you out shopping for the family today? All by yourself?”

“Nope, Clotho’s with me!”

“Ahh, the monster employed by Kelvin-san.”

“Still, it’s a rare sight seeing you without Efil-chan.”

“Umm, she has a...pomoshon exam today? So she went out with Master. Mom is busy doing something else, so I’m on shopping duty by myself!”

“Well, look at you, you’re a big girl now. So, did you properly memorize the list of what you’re supposed to buy?”

“Hehe, I’ve got just the thing. Clotho, give me you-know-what!”

From her shoulder, Clotho retrieved a piece of paper that Ruka then passed to the elderly couple.

“What...is this?”

“Mom wrote it out for me!”

“I knew it.”

“I knew it.”

So, she had not memorized it after all. A peek at the memo revealed an extensive list of vegetables and fruits. Apparently, it was a shopping list for this particular store.

“Th-This much again, huh?”

“Grandpa Gerard and Mel-sama both eat a lot. Well, Mel-sama eats most of it, actually.”

“You’re talking about that unbelievably pretty girl who joined you guys recently, right? I saw her walking by one time holding a gourmet magazine in a really good mood.”

“Uh-huh! She’s Master’s, um, fee-ahn-say?”

“Cough, cough, cough! S-Seriously? Wow, he’s just, wow...”

“My, oh my! Well, we’re glad that you’re buying so much from us. Here, an apple on the house for our loyal customer!”

“Yay, thank you!”

Ruka accepted the apple and did a little jig as Clotho expanded its body to Store the mountain of ingredients, not leaving a single sprout behind. Then the slime reverted to its miniature size just as quickly and resumed its position on the little girl’s shoulder as if nothing had happened.

“No matter how many times I see it, I still find it an incredible sight.”

“Being able to buy things without having to hold them seems so convenient. I guess there are many different kinds of slimes out there.”

“Um, now I have to buy meat, and salt, and sugar. Mister and missus, thank you for the apple. I still have to buy lots of things, so I gotta go! See you next time!”

“All right, then. We’ll be waiting!”

As the girl took off, apple in hand, the couple watched her receding figure with warm expressions on their faces.

Sera’s Shopping

By now, Sera was quite a well-known figure in Parth. After she had shown up one day and joined Kelvin’s party, her stunning beauty, unimaginable strength, and innocent personality won her such fame and popularity that it took no time at all for a fanclub to be set up in her honor. The majority of the organization was male, but there were a surprisingly large group of females who looked up to her and fantasized about having her as their older sister.

“Hmm...”

“What’s got you thinking so hard, Sera-san?”

This famous demon was currently inside Parth’s one and only shop that offered musical instruments. For the past half hour or so, she had been standing in front of the most expensive grand piano there, arms crossed, groaning.

“Boss, could you perhaps sell this at a lower price?”

“Ha! Ha! Ha! You want a discount, do you? Since you always give us so much business, I want to say, “I’d love to,” but I’m afraid that’s just not possible for this item.”

Sera, who normally commanded such admiration from other adventurers, was currently nothing more than a child looking through a shop window with sparkling eyes. She was staring with incredible intensity at the piano before her.

“You’ve had your eye on it for quite a while now, haven’t you? Couldn’t you ask Kelvin-san to buy it for you? Normal adventurers wouldn’t be able to afford it, but seeing as he managed to purchase such a huge estate, perhaps he’d be willing to buy this for you on a whim.”

“Kelvin is strict about wasting money. He might say yes if it’s a normal instrument, but this would be a really tough ask.”

“That’s a pity. We would love to let it go to someone like yourself, who actually possesses the skill to bring out its true potential.”

In this world, performing with instruments was considered an upper-class pastime. Some taverns might have had simple instruments lying around, but generally, the more sophisticated ones were enjoyed exclusively by the nobility. If one wanted to listen to music, there were festivals. If one wanted to play, however...well, the number of people possessing significant skill with an instrument was quite limited, to put it mildly.

The owner of the store knew that this customer possessed significant musical ability. In fact, he even thought her good enough to take in students. Due to his store normally not attracting that much traffic in the first place, he found the presence of someone who seemed to truly love music for music’s sake, like she did, rather enjoyable. As such, he very much wanted to help her in any way he could.

“Really?! Then let it go...to me!”

“That was a figure of speech, okay? My store will go bankrupt if I just give it to you, you know?!” Clarification: he wanted to help her in any way he could...without putting his business at risk. “Hmm...I suppose there’s no other way but for you to consider your own financial situation. How about looking at it long-term and saving up for it little by little? Fortunately for you, and not so fortunately for me, a high-class item like this isn’t in any great demand.”

“What if I want it now?”

What she was asking notwithstanding, Sera’s eyes were dead serious.

“You have a childish side that comes out every now and then, Sera-san. Do you really want it that badly?”

“I do, but I’ve already gotten this week’s pocket money from Kelvin.”

“I’m afraid you’ll just have to be patient, then. But don’t worry, you can play it as much as you want here in the store.”

The shopkeeper graciously offered the best compromise he could, expecting his suggestion to allay her emotions for the time being.

“If I buy this now, I won’t be able to order the newest fishing rod from Toraj. In the catalogs that Tsubaki sends over frequently, there’s a certain model for catching smaller fish in mountain streams that I’ve been wanting for a while, but...nah, never mind! As they said, there’s no time like the present! I’ll buy this grand piano, boss!”

Clarification: he wanted to help her in any way he could...if she actually needed his help.

Sera, who was the kind of person to pour everything she had into her leisure activities, did not have music as her sole hobby. This time, however, her mood just happened to lean in the right direction.

So, you had the money to buy it this whole time?! screamed the store owner from the bottom of his heart as Sera unloaded a torrent of coins from Clotho’s Storage through the clone dedicated to her personal use.

Rion’s Exploration Squad

“And so, we will be exploring this mansion!”

“Arf...?” (What do you mean, ‘and so’?)

A figurative question mark appeared above Rion’s partner, Alex, the shadow wolf who spent the majority of each day next to her. The two had been walking down a corridor when the girl suddenly stopped in her tracks and the above words came out of her cute mouth. There had been no prelude or any context whatsoever.

“Alex, think about it. We’ve been living with Kel-nii for a while now, but we’ve yet to fully discover everything that’s in this house, right? This is our home now too. It would be strange if there were places in it that we don’t know about, wouldn’t it?”

“Arf...?” (I guess so?)

“Uh-huh. So, let’s explore it!”

“Arf, arrrf...” (Jeez, all right then.)

Only after thinking it through and determining that looking around the house wouldn’t pose any significant danger did Alex sigh and agree to accompany Rion on her expedition. But his black tail was now wagging left and right enthusiastically. Although he had a rather mature personality, he was still only three years old. He loved playing too.

“First stop, Gramps’s room! Ah, hold on, we need to get everyone’s permission before entering their rooms!”

“Arf! Arf.” (Good job. You have to be courteous towards those you’re close to as well.)

Everyone was apparently lounging around the living room, munching on snacks. After obtaining permission from them without issue, Rion decided to visit each room in turn, starting from the first floor. The room that was closest to the main entrance was Gerard’s.

“You think this is training equipment?”

“Arf! Arf! Arrrf.” (For furniture, he only has a bed, a table, and a chair. Other than that, it seems he only has swords and shields as decorations.)

“This is stuff used to take care of equipment, ah, and this is a whetstone. Hmm, if I’m to summarize Gramps’s room in one phrase, it’d be...simplicity and fortitude!”

“Arf!” (Simplicity and fortitude!)

The next rooms belonged to Ellie and Ruka. The latter’s eyes practically shone with excitement when Rion asked her for permission. Unfortunately, the young girl was still in the middle of work, and ended up being dragged away by the back of her collar.

After parting ways with a promise to play together later on, Rion resumed her exploration. Aside from a few cook books, the two rooms themselves turned out not to be so different from the other empty guest rooms. As such, there wasn’t much to say about them.

“And this is the bathroom! I know I always say this, but it sure is big. There’s plenty of space for Kel-nii and me to go in together.”

“Arf.” (There’s a lake in the forest that’s even bigger.)

In this world, there weren’t many houses that had baths. Although the one here was currently already big enough for several people to use at once, Kelvin was actually planning to expand it even more in the near future. The passion that Japanese people held for bath-taking was so remarkable that the presence of the tub had been one big factor in Kelvin ultimately settling on this particular home.

“Next is the second floor. Aside from our own room, from the staircase, there’s Mel-nee’s, Sera-nee’s, Efil-nee’s, then Kel-nii’s all the way in the back.”

“Arf.” (The rooms on the second floor are starting to get quite full.)

“There’re only two empty ones left, I think? Maybe they’ll have inhabitants sooner than we think.”

“Arf, arf...” (Haha, surely not.)

After wasting a bit of time chatting together, the girl and the wolf resumed their exploration, following the order mentioned previously.

“On the table is...a mortar for concocting potions and probably the ingredients that need to be ground up. Is this ore for making accessories? Mel-nee’s room is full of things that would be useful for adventuring.”

“Arf, arf arf arf?” (Isn’t there a comment you should be making first, Rion?)

“It’s...really messy.”

It was true that there were a ton of things that would be very valuable to adventurers inside Melfina’s room. However, the state of the place could not be called neat and tidy by any stretch of the imagination. Incidentally, the room owner herself had only just woken up and headed downstairs.

“That, and there are surprisingly few things to eat in here!”

“Arf!” (Very surprising indeed!)

Normally, people would call such a comment “rude.”

“Sera-nee’s room is...wow, there’re so many fishing rods! And so many clothes! Did Efil-nee make all these? There are quite a few designs that I remember from Japan...”

“Arrf. Arf.” (Sera did mention before that she wants a piano and a violin too.)

“Ahaha, seems like this is going to be one busy room.”

Even so, the room was much more orderly than the previous one, with everything seeming to have its assigned place. It was a busy space, but in a good way.

“Then Efil-nee’s room...is the girliest one of all...”

“Arf...” (The normalness of it sure seems reassuring...)

After taking a roughly ten-minute break to bask in the room’s healing properties, the two explorers finally reached the room of the house’s master.

“It looks like...there aren’t any sexy books underneath the bed. I guess that would be a bit too predictable.”

“Arf?” (What are you doing?)

“Um, it’s a sort of cliché from my previous life, ahaha...”

Another question mark appeared over the shadow wolf’s head.

For those who are curious, the only things Rion found in the room were blueprints and brainstorms for weapons and equipment, and books on battle strategy and magic. Even if there were sexy books there, they’d have been neatly stacked on top of his table every time Efil came in to clean the place. It was always the final blow that would bring tears to boys’ eyes.

“Last stop is underground! There’s still stuff behind the training room, isn’t there? Let’s take a look —”

“Arf! Arrrrrf.” (Rion, my nose tells me that there’s a huge labyrinth down there. We might get lost, so let’s leave it alone for now.)

“Awww...”

This house was clearly not ready to give up all of its secrets just yet.

Efil’s Promotion Exam

“A promotion exam?” Kelvin asked, lounging on a sofa in his house.

“Yes, Master. It appears that I met the requirements before I knew it. I received this from Ange-san.”

Efil passed her master a document in Guildmaster Rio’s handwriting, announcing her eligibility to apply for a Rank B promotion exam. The flowing text written in this world’s language somehow seemed as slippery as the man himself.

“Oh, that’s right, you’re still Rank C...ostensibly.”

“It’s not ostensible, I genuinely am a Rank C adventurer, Master. Whereas you have already reached Rank A, I am as yet immature and unable to hold a candle to you.”

“You sure are modest...”

Efil’s puzzled tilt of the head evoked a wry smile from Kelvin. In terms of adventurer rank, C was an indication of a veteran. And in Parth, that would refer to Uld. On the other hand, Efil had already, along with Kelvin, defeated an archdemon and an evil dragon, both ranked S in strength, let alone C or B. That was proof enough that she already possessed strength on par with Rank S. The only reason she had been C this long was because she had yet to complete the number of quests needed for promotion. If she had been allowed to skip ranks like Kelvin had, it would not have been at all surprising for her to be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him as a fellow Rank A adventurer.

“That aside, it’s true that your current rank is completely inappropriate for you. Will you take it now?”

“According to that notice, once I obtain permission from the exam proctor, I may take it at any time.”

“That so? In that case, I’ll come along too.”

“Will you really? I would find that very reassuring!”

Kelvin’s heart warmed at Efil’s cute gesture of clenching her fist before her chest in an effort to rouse herself.

“Um, Master...”

“What is it?”

“If I manage to pass the exam, um...may I...have a reward...?” the maid asked with slightly flushed cheeks.

In response, the man promptly gave her a thumbs up and replied, “Leave it to me!”

What the reward would be had yet to be specified, but the hearts of the two seemed to be in resonance for a split second. However, someone else had been watching their exchange.

“So...what’s the reward gonna be?”

“Holy sh—— Rion?!”

“R-Rion-sama?!”

The figure popping her head up from behind the sofa was Kelvin’s stepsister, Rion. She had been in the middle of playing hide-and-seek with Ruka, the apprentice maid. Having been lost in their own world, Kelvin and Efil had failed to notice the teenage girl stealthily hiding herself.

“Umm...”

Efil shot Kelvin a troubled look. This stepbrother pushed Parallel Processing — the skill he had borrowed from Miyabi, one of the Heroes of Deramis — to full throttle as he tried to come up with an appropriate reward.

“There’s no need to tell me; I can guess! Efil-nee, it’s head pats, isn’t it?!”

“Th-That’s right. When Master pats my head, it makes me feel very happy and warm. Did she guess right, Master?”

“Yeeeah, that’s it,” Kelvin nodded, looking slightly disappointed for some reason.

After managing to gloss over things, Kelvin and Efil left Rion and headed for the exam. It was to be held at the foot of a steep cliff a slight distance from Parth. High above them flew numerous winged monsters.

“All right then, I will proceed to explain the details of the exam.”

“So listen up!”

“Guildmaster and Ange-san are serving as my proctors?”

Before Efil’s eyes stood the guildmaster of the Parthian branch of the Adventurer’s Guild, Rio, and one of the receptionists there, Ange. With clipboards in hand, both looked very much the part of exam proctors.

“As the guildmaster, I am basically the only person in Parth who is qualified to oversee high-ranked promotion exams. If you take the Rank A exam down the line, it is almost certain that I will be serving as proctor for that as well.”

“I’m his attendant! You got this, Efil-chan!”

“Ahem. Ange-kun, you are still on the job.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! Um...we look forward to your success, Efil-sama.”

Although Ange changed up her word choice, the meaning of what she was saying remained the same. Guildmaster Rio did not pursue the matter further, though. Normally, a promotion exam would be conducted in a more solemn and serious manner, but this time, the atmosphere seemed rather relaxed. Somehow, Kelvin thought he knew why.

“I shall now begin the explanation. Reaching Rank B is a sign that someone has become a master of their chosen path. The purpose of this exam is to confirm whether you truly possess the strength worthy of this distinction. Efil-kun, your weapon of choice is the bow, is that correct?”

“That is correct.”

“In that case, your task is to shoot down a monster flying in the sky. You are allowed to use a maximum of three arrows. Considering how high up the monsters are flying, you may climb to the top of this cliff if you wish. If you successfully shoot down one of those monsters, your promotion to B will be acknowledged. Any questions?”

“None at all.”

Efil promptly nocked an arrow and began. Without enveloping them in flames, she shot all three arrows in quick succession. There was no hesitation whatsoever. Almost immediately, screams filled the sky.

“I think the result was obvious from the start,” Kelvin murmured, dropping his gaze to the ground where six monster corpses now lay. Efil had indeed used only three arrows, but each one had first pierced one monster before taking the life of another. She had easily surpassed the conditions of the exam set out by Rio.

“Ange-kun...did I perhaps set the bar too low?”

“What if Efil-chan uses the monsters she shot down to whip up a dish delicious enough to make you cry? Would you acknowledge her promotion then, guildmaster?”

“Hey, nice idea, Ange.”

“Well, all right, I didn’t ask for suggestions for new requirements to tack on.”

To no one’s surprise, Efil became a Rank B adventurer.