Chapter 13

Chapter Two: The Fruits of Effort

A DVENTURING WAS BY FAR ONE OF THE MOST sought-after professions in the Kingdom of Milestia and its surrounding areas, particularly due to the separation of the state and the Adventurers’ Guild.

The Adventurers’ Guild was an independent organization that mainly concerned itself with the hunting of monsters, and adventurers did not usually find themselves caught up in wars, political disputes, or other national affairs. The Kingdom of Milestia, like its neighbors, had compulsory military service in times of war, so many sought out jobs with the Adventurers’ Guild instead. It was a crowded field in a profession that demanded one thing and one thing only— strength .

Noble birth counted for nothing, nor did purity of heart and mind. One either had the brute strength to hunt monsters, or they did not. This also meant that any individual could rise to the position regardless of status or morality. To prevent such an organization from becoming an armed militia gang, the whole thing was subject to strict regulations. Such threats had rarely emerged in the group’s long history, and the Adventurers’ Guild was a trusted institution, for the most part. Guild members were also permitted to freely cross borders in the course of their work, which resulted in diverse groups of adventurers from all walks of life. Arguments among group members were not uncommon.

However, foreigners rarely visited Milestia for long because of its reputation for being a magic supremacist nation. It was for such reasons that the bulk of the citizens of Milestia thought of the guild as a group of thugs. It was hard to deny the accuracy of that description at times, to be fair.

Despite the guild’s imperfections, demand for adventurers remained high, as monster attacks were a constant menace.

And that brings the story to a certain branch of the Adventurers’ Guild, located in the city of Gilbadia within the domain of Lord Gilbert. On this particular day, business was, of course, completely dead.

“Just got a report: The fifth-best A-rank party, the Gray Wolf’s Claw Marks, are taking a hiatus.”

“Mm…” Dolce Pannacotta, guild master, had other things on his mind.

“The situation is dire! This is no time to mope around.”

“Man, Elka was such a beauty, y’know? I shoulda asked her out for tea before she went home to the capital.”

“Enough, that was three months ago. Stop running away from reality or the guild’s going to go out of business.”

“Hm… Could you be more specific?”

“Don’t play dumb. You know what must be done. Turn down this bounty.”

“No way! I can’t! You know how scary Al can get!”

“But if you don’t turn him down, the guild’s going under!”

Dolce made a strangled noise that ended in a sigh of surrender.

“You’re right, we have to turn him down,” he admitted. “I figured something fishy must be going on. Why post an adventurer’s bounty when any old knight would do? Ugh, c’mon, Al, give me a break…”

Dolce looked down once more at the bounty in his hands and read over what was written there.

“Wanted: Opponents for hand-to-hand sparring matches to be conducted with the heir to the house of Gilbert, Luke Witharia Gilbert. Any weapons may be used. You will not be held responsible for injuries Luke Witharia Gilbert might sustain in the course of these matches. However, if you are harmed, the house of Gilbert will offer compensation. Reward: one gold piece. Doubled if you can win.”

One gold piece is a lot of money for a working adventurer. They could live in luxury every night for at least a week. And that’s the reward for a single match? No risk of death, no rank requirement… If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, but who could resist giving it a try?

Yeah, no, this is the devil’s bounty right here.

It only took three months for the top five A-rank adventurer parties to announce that they would be ceasing all of their activities after accepting Al’s bounty.

Why would they do that? The reason was simple. But first, some perspective on the matter. It’s common knowledge among adventurers that no matter how hard you worked, you’d only ever make it to B-rank—unless you had real talent. That’s why getting to A-rank was a golden ticket, a gateway to success. That’s also why those who made it to that level shared a sort of stubborn pride and absolute confidence in their own strength that the lower ranks just didn’t have.

Of course, the hierarchy went beyond that. There’re S-rank and X-rank at the very top—but those were reserved for “true heroes” and “aberrations.” Most adventurers didn’t dare aim for such heights and instead set their sights on A-rank.

So then, why did the top five A-rank adventurer parties suddenly decide to disband? Because they were shown just how little their hard-won pride was worth when they encountered a true monster.

“You’re wasting my time. Why’s the guild sending out such weak adventurers?”

“Y’know, they sent me a C-rank the other week and… What, don’t tell me you’re one too?”

“A-rank? Seriously? You’re kidding me. I thought you had to be another C-rank. This guild hierarchy thing is such a joke. Why do they bother with it when you’re all about the same?”

From the perspective of the truly chosen, everyone else was just common rabble. No matter how hard they tried, they’d never reach your level. They’re all the same, all less than you. Every last one of them would amount to nothing. But wasn’t it amusing to watch them try?

Coming face-to-face with this sort of person was too much for some of them. They worked so hard, sacrificed so much, and it was all denied them in the end: ridiculed, rejected, and tossed aside in the most cruelly matter-of-fact way. Perhaps you could say this was just a trial to weed out the weak, to see who would sink and who would swim. The strong would always be driven to climb back up because they knew the heights. Maybe they’d never be “true heroes,” but at least they could take pride in their journey. Each step forward moved you a little further away from where you started, after all.

***

So, um…I’ve realized something over the past couple years: No matter how hard I try, I can’t contain my arrogance. I don’t think there’s any way to lift this curse. I guess I’m just gonna keep making enemies forever, then, huh? Man, I was really rude to all of those adventurers too. I bet they all hate my guts.

No sense in crying over that, though. What I’m most worried about is ensuring I don’t lose to someone who’s an equal match for me. Alfred-san’s got too much experience, and he’s much older than me, so our matches are lopsided. But what about an opponent of my own age? Would I be able to keep my cool if I lost to someone like that?

No.

If I lost, my overinflated ego would burst and take down my whole sense of self in the implosion. That’d be the Bad Ending to this route, so that means I’ll just have to keep winning. Victory is the one thing I’ll never compromise on. No matter what.

Instinctively, I knew that would be for the best to just accept my fate. Luke’s will was too strong for me to reject, and it was a constant presence within this body.

I’ll become more and more like Luke, stronger and stronger…

But someday I’d reach my limit. How long could I keep going up? I knew the margin between victory and defeat would only continue to narrow.

Hmph. I am the greatest. There’s nobody that stands above me.

I was so arrogant that I believed that without a shadow of a doubt. This persona should have been so far removed from my true self, but it was so easy being this way. It felt as if I was becoming the person I was always meant to be. It felt like coming home.

It’s only natural that I treat people like this, isn’t it? I’m Luke, after all. Of course I look down on everyone around me.

The moment that thought occurred to me, everything felt so much simpler.

One day after training, I spotted Alfred talking to a stranger. I found that a little unusual. Who would be visiting him, and why?

“Tch.” I clicked my tongue loudly, not even trying to hide my displeasure. The man left, bowing to me repeatedly as he made his escape.

“What’s going on?” I demanded.

“Well…” Alfred hesitated. “The guild master has personally refused our bounty.”

“I see.”

No big loss there, as far as I was concerned. Those fights were absolutely tedious. Those adventurers were supposed to be the highest ranked in the city, but they were all beneath me. Ridiculous. Alfred-san said that all I lacked was practice, but what was the point in sparring against those fools?

It’s just too easy.

I used to resist thinking like this, but it’s the truth, and it’s freeing to admit.

What a terrible letdown all that was. It’s unfortunate, but perhaps this will work out just fine for me. I do need to get started on my magic studies, anyway.

“Perfect.”

“Perfect, Master Luke?”

“The time is right,” I announced. “I wish to learn about magic. Inform my father. Give word to the Magic Ministry and have them dispatch an examiner.”

***

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Abel, whose tale was just one of those everyday tragedies.

In the Kingdom of Milestia, most commoners had two names, while aristocrats and royalty had three. Abel, however, was an orphan, and he had only one.

Abel was raised by nuns in a small church nestled away in a little village. His life there was not easy by any account. Every day, he tended the fields, collecting and selling medicinal herbs to scrape by. That was the only way he could find food to fill his empty belly. While he certainly did not live in the lap of luxury, Abel never thought of himself as unfortunate. The nuns of the church were truly like his family, and the other orphans looked up to him as an older brother. Nobody in the village discriminated against him because he was an orphan. The people he lived with were poor, but had compassion in their hearts, and everyone always took care of each other.

Life was hard, but everyone gave each other reasons to keep on smiling, and Abel loved them for that. He was happy—truly happy—and he believed his happiness would go on forever.

He never expected it would all end so abruptly one day.

It began with the sound of a whistle. It was so beautiful, yet so mournful that it made him stop in his tracks. Moments later came the sudden, heavy footfall of monsters known as “forest giants.” These creatures were formidable not just because of their large size but their intelligence. They were smart enough to hunt in packs.

The residents had no weapons with which to fight and nowhere to run. The nuns instructed the children to hide in different locations so that at least one of them might survive the onslaught. Abel did as he was told. He hid and he survived, but hiding did nothing to block out the sounds of his world falling apart.

He heard it all: Men, women, and children screaming. The wet, crunching sound of something being crushed underfoot. Harsh, cackling laughter. Abel couldn’t bear to listen. He put his hands over his ears, trying to block it out, but still the awful sounds made it through.

The sound of killing. The sound of dying.

I don’t want to hear it.

I don’t want to hear it!

Please, I don’t want to hear it!

No, no, no, no, no—

As I said, just another one of those everyday tragedies.

***

As the house of Viscount Ramree had no domain of its own, the family lived in the royal capital. Lily Acril Ramree, the second daughter of Viscount Ramree, had no complaints about that, however. She enjoyed roaming the beautiful streets of the capital on her daily stroll. Her walking routine had been regular for years, as a way to brighten the otherwise rather monotonous world around her.

“I’m going out for a walk, Gramps.”

“Very well, my lady.”

She finished her preparations and left the house. She knew exactly which route she wanted to take.

“Ahem, t-today I am going to see Miss Elka!” she declared.

“Understood, my lady.”

Until fairly recently, Lily’s walking routine had been rather stagnant. Roughly a year ago, she started detouring to Elka’s school on the way home. These days, it had become her usual route.

“Do you think I’ll be a bother?”

“Not at all, my lady. I am sure she will be honored to receive you.”

“O-of course! You’re completely correct! All right, let’s go!”

“Yes, my lady.”

The butler, whom Lily called “Gramps,” was in fact named Paul. He had served the house of Ramree for generations, watching over Lily since before she was even born. He was a little soft on her, but he could hardly be blamed for that. He, along with several guards, escorted Lily from the house. The city was beautiful, just as it had been yesterday, and stirred no unusual waves of emotion within her. Even so, Lily’s footsteps were light that day, and before long, her destination came into view.

As she approached, a sharp fighting cry tore at her ear drums.

At first, Lily had thought the shouting to be rather brutish, but she was used to it now. In any case, she knew it was about to cease soon enough because she had timed her walk to coincide with their daily recess. Then, Lily heard voices on the other side of the door that confirmed her good timing.

“That’s enough. Break,” Elka said.

“Huff… Th-thank you…very much,” panted her out-of-breath student.

“Gramps?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Paul stepped forward to knock upon the door, which was set into an imposing four-legged gate, but he need not have bothered. With a creak, the door opened on its own.

“Welcome. Come in.”

“Y-yes…”

The woman who came to greet them at the door was the former captain of the Royal Knights, Elka Ay Sutherland. Lily certainly did not dislike her, but she did find her just a tiny bit difficult to deal with. There was something about the way in which the former captain seemed to see right through her that creeped Lily out. Once, when Lily asked her how she always knew when she would be arriving, Elka simply laughed and said, “I just know.” It was ever so off-putting.

Lily entered the school and found her eye immediately drawn to a black-haired boy lying flat on his back on the floor, looking thoroughly wiped out. The sight of him made Lily smile just a little.

“I see you’ve taken quite a beating again today, Abel.”

“Ah,” the boy gasped, exhausted. “L-Lily.”

Abel looked up at her, his shoulders heaving.

“What? Should I not have come?”

“S-sorry. That’s not it. I’m happy you’re here.”

Lily giggled. She couldn’t help but tease him a bit.

Abel always gets worked up when I’m a little firm with him, she thought to herself fondly. It’s ever so cute.

“You’re keeping up with your training after all, then?”

“Yeah.”

Abel sat on the porch, gulping down his water until it was completely gone. He never behaved according to proper etiquette, but that didn’t bother Lily.

“You still haven’t given up on Aslan Magic Academy?”

“No,” Abel answered instantly.

Aslan Magic Academy was the top magic school in the kingdom. It bore the name of the legendary master of both the sword and magic, Aslan. Technically, the only requirement for entry was an aptitude for magic. However, it was an unspoken rule that said magic must be specifically elemental. This rule went unquestioned at the academy, given its absolute meritocracy—such was the gulf between those who were capable of using elemental magic, and those who were not.

Elemental magic was extremely powerful—too powerful even for war, as weaponizing it would bring the death toll too high on all sides. If a war were so fierce that multiple elemental magic users were deployed in its course, the dead would be piled high upon the battlefield by its end.

Why is it that Abel is so insistent upon attending Aslan Magic Academy? Can’t he just become a Royal Knight or an adventurer instead? No matter how much he improves with the sword, he just won’t set his sights on anything else. What’s the point, anyway? He might be able to use a little non-elemental magic, but they’ll never accept him with just that.

Why is he set on becoming so powerful?

Lily didn’t want to see Abel get hurt. She had thought of little else lately but how she might get him to give up on his idea.

“It’s no use,” Abel said, interrupting her thoughts.

“Huh?”

“I made my mind up long ago. My path is set, no matter what anyone says.”

He really is just like Miss Elka, Lily thought silently. It’s like he sees right through me.

“I’m going to get strong. No matter what. I won’t compromise on that, even if it leads me to my death.”

Lily looked at Abel and saw that there was no light behind his eyes, no hope.

All she saw was darkness there, a writhing void.

It was a darkness so complete that she couldn’t see the bottom of it, deep enough to swallow her up. She felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

“Heh, sorry, that must’ve sounded weird.”

Instantly, the black cloud dissipated. The clumsy, vexingly kind boy that Lily knew was back, sitting on the porch in front of her.

“You really don’t know your station in life, do you?” Lily scoffed.

“Ha, I guess you’re right.”

Abel awkwardly scratched at his cheek.

“But I suppose that’s something that I respect about you,” she admitted. “Just a smidge.”

“Huh?”

Abel reacted with surprise. When he and Lily first met, she had been the very picture of a typical arrogant aristocrat.

“What?! Is it really that surprising?”

“But Lily, you…”

“Ah, never mind!”

Lily quickly got to her feet, embarrassed. She shook it off by changing the subject.

“I came to tell you something,” she said. “I’ve discovered my element. I have an aptitude for Water.”

“Whoa, really?! Congratulations, Lily! That’s really amazing!”

“I-it’s not that amazing.”

Abel’s smile was carefree and filled with admiration. Lily wondered what would happen if she were in his shoes. Would she be able to earnestly congratulate the success of another without envy?

“So I’m going to try to get into Aslan Magic Academy too. We’re going to be rivals, so you best prepare yourself, okay?”

Abel laughed. He was so happy he couldn’t help it. Lily was incredibly talented, and there she was, calling him a rival.

But I can’t just be satisfied with that, he thought.

“I won’t lose,” said Abel with a smile, trying his best to be cool.

I’m sure it’ll be a steep path, and so narrow that one wrong step will send me tumbling down into the ravine below. Maybe there won’t even be a path to begin with.

But either way, Abel’s mind was made up.

I won’t let anyone take anything from me ever again.

***

“Ah… hic …”

Zack Calisson, A-rank adventurer, had spent all his days drowning his sorrows in drink of late. It was only when he was drunk that he could forget the awful things he’d seen. The terror that made his blood run cold, like…

“Damn it.”

Zack took another furious swig of liquor to stop the image from forming in the back of his mind. The owner of the tavern sighed at him as he drank the morning away, but Zack didn’t care about his opinion. He didn’t care about anything at all anymore.

I wanted to be a hero.

As a kid, he had always been enthralled by the bards’ epic tales of adventure and heroism. That’s why he became an adventurer in the first place. Reality was harsh and threw obstacle after obstacle in his way, but Zack fought like hell to overcome them. He never gave up, and he finally managed to reach A-rank as he neared his thirtieth birthday.

I tried my best. I really did… And yet…

“What, that’s all you’ve got?”

Zack shivered, as if someone had pressed an icicle to the back of his neck.

…I don’t suppose I’ll ever be able to forget that. Not until the day I die.

He fought with a long sword, the same weapon that Luke used. Perhaps that’s how Zack knew so quickly—they only exchanged a few blows before he understood something important.

He showed me…no matter how hard I struggle, I’ll never win.

The look he saw in Luke’s eyes only added insult to injury. It was a look of pure condescension, like nothing Zack had ever done mattered one bit.

Zack took another swig of his drink to wash away the bad memories.

The tavern door creaked open, and Zack looked lazily toward the entrance. It was Alfred Deeg, the man who clawed his way up from his common birth to become the vice-captain of the Royal Knights.

“Al.”

“Tch, damn kid,” Alfred said sharply. “Can’t bear to see you like this.”

Zack had been born in the same village as Alfred, and so when Zack saw his bounty posting, he took it as the perfect opportunity to show his worth. Zack respected Alfred and he wanted to show off his achievements, having risen to A-rank. What happened during the sparring match was not at all what he’d wanted Alfred to see.