Mitsuki looked at his hand as he opened and closed his fist. He was mesmerized, appreciating the fact that he had his arm back once again.
’It still doesn’t feel real. Should I test it against some beast? I’m not sure if it’ll hold up, but Ellegaard told me I needed to train it until it matches the rest of my body.’
He got out of bed and put on his poncho.
’Maybe the guild has a mission that’ll help with that. I don’t know, like raiding a troll nest or exterminating a squad of level 30 goblins. There has to be something for me.’
With that thought in mind, he left the inn.
No one actually saw him leave. At this point, Mitsuki was like a soft cloud of ash drifting through the world. Even though he was fragile and water could turn him into mud, he still floated forward as if that wasn’t a big deal.
Despite his injuries, and despite the fact that his entire torso had exploded during the fight against Cinderella, Mitsuki never gave up. In fact, that was exactly what Ellegaard criticized about him, even though she wasn’t any different.
’Training... training... It’s become a habit for me. Before, I wouldn’t have even lifted my ass off a chair, but now I can go kill monsters on my own. Huh... I’d love to see Ayaka’s face right now. Her German suplex won’t work on me anymore.’
As he thought about that, leaping across rooftops and turning into ash like usual, some of the people on the streets looked up at him. Some with confusion, others unconcerned, and a few with curiosity.
When he finally arrived at the guild, Mitsuki landed and walked inside carelessly.
Now that he was alone, the stares changed. Mitsuki noticed that and began to feel a little uncomfortable. It wasn’t the same discomfort he felt on his first day here, but it was like being thrown back to that moment.
He approached the counter, where the distracted Maya nearly fell over when she saw him.
"You? You’re back... Why didn’t you report what happened in Axorhibis?"
"Axor... How do you know about that?"
Maya glanced at the others as if telling them to keep quiet, then nervously leaned closer to Mitsuki and whispered.
"The Lord of Green came to report your situation and his return to his homeland very early this morning. He told my aunt everything that happened during your journey: the village with the specters, the Wendigo, the Ethereal Dragon, the transportation spell, and finally, the battle against a princess corrupted by the Ash in Axorhibis."
"Oh... I guess he also talked about me and what I did to survive."
Maya nodded quickly.
"He and his friends recommended you for a rank promotion. Now the Guild Master is coming to find you so she can conduct the test whether you want it or not."
"And why is that? I mean, I don’t mind ranking up, but why would she force me into it?"
"You don’t understand. The feats the Lord of Green described belong to an S-rank adventurer. A potential S-rank needs a higher-ranked adventurer to evaluate their abilities and assign them a numerical score. That’s why the Guild Master herself is coming to assess you. My aunt would’ve been a good option for you, but she refused because she’s too lazy."
"Your aunt... You mean the woman who buys mana crystals and treasures?"
Maya nodded again.
"Believe it or not, she used to be an S-rank adventurer. She’s really strong, but she limited herself to helping the guild’s adventurers because she’s an incredibly lazy woman. On the other hand, the Guild Master is..."
Maya trembled. She looked away as if afraid and couldn’t continue.
"Is she SS-rank like Ellegaard and Jeanne?"
"Not just that. She’s... my mom. That’s why I’m telling you, run!" she shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Whenever she sees an adventurer with potential, she likes smashing their face in to test their strength."
"What?"
She nodded.
"So if she finds you, she’ll force you to fight her. Even though she’ll be measuring your potential as an adventurer, she might break every bone in your body. A lot of people who faced her quit the guild a few days later. The best thing you can do right now is hide until she gets tired of looking for you."
Thinking about it, Mitsuki looked down at the counter, because if he looked any higher Maya would misunderstand.
’Fighting an SS-rank just to rank up... How big is the difference between ranks if I’m supposedly S-rank? I climbed from the very bottom to the top in such a short time. The Guild Master must be surprised. Of course... If it weren’t for the system, I never would’ve become this strong so quickly.’
"Did you not hear me? You still have time to think about it before she arrives in Luxar."
Mitsuki sighed.
"It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I want to become S-rank. Besides, it’ll let me see the gap between our ranks. I mean, has she killed anyone so far?"
"No..."
"Then there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll wait patiently for her. Since I’ll be returning to Nemoria soon to continue training my powers, it’d be good to test the strength I’ve gained over the last few weeks against someone strong."
Maya grabbed her head and slowly slid down the counter until she collapsed onto the floor.
"By the Corn Gods... You’re doomed..."
"Oh, right. I wanted to know if I could go hunt monsters nearby," Mitsuki said.
Maya’s hand rose over the counter and placed a sheet of paper on the table. Then he heard her muttering.
"Stone slimes south of the city. They’re really strong and can control the terrain."
"That works for me. Thanks."
"Have a nice day," Maya said, curling up into a little ball behind the counter. "My mom is going to kill you..."
A few minutes later, Mitsuki walked toward the outskirts of the city. He hoped he could test his new arm without breaking it in the process, so there was nothing better than starting with the classic slimes.
’Stone slimes, huh. Sounds contradictory, but I can already imagine what I’m up against.’
He slipped the paper into his pocket and looked down the road. People were still staring at him.
’On the other hand, Maya looked really disturbed. Is her mother really that terrifying? I’m almost certain Ellegaard knows her. As an SS-rank Arcane Mage, she obviously should know the Guild Master.’
Out of pure instinct, he looked at his hand. It was thinner than his left hand and looked fragile. That reminded him of that dark elf.
’Monar... In the end, you already prepared yourself to return home. I hope you can recover your eyes and your hand. I already managed to get my arm back, now all that’s left are my emotions and the next stage of healing my soul. If everything goes well, I’ll be ready for the next realm of Nemoria in a few days.’
He left the city behind. Conveniently enough, the southern side of Luxar was both the entrance and exit of the city. He simply had to follow the map toward the mountains, so he began jumping between tree branches to build up speed.
’I’ll learn the entirety of the Mystery of Cinder and its cause once I’ve managed to seize its power. I’ll keep getting closer and closer to what I want...’
***
In the intrinsic capital of Amaria, inside that palace built from stone and marble, sat a tired king wearing a massive silver crown. He was old, and his hair had become nearly white with age. He was inside a small room with enormous windows, staring at a large round table covered in different pieces arranged like clues from a crime scene.
Beside him stood a woman with green hair, a blue uniform, and round glasses, carrying a large stack of papers.
"Did you manage to find anything, Your Majesty?" the woman asked.
She was far too young compared to the king.
The old man shook his head.
"I don’t understand the actions of the Heralds of Shadow. They’ve never sown discord throughout the world before. Why do it now, and with the Herald of the Unnameable of all things?"
"I can’t understand it either. The matter of the Herald is extremely delicate among the people. They say that in Luxar, people have simply accepted that the destroyer of our world has arrived and are continuing their lives normally. As for the neighboring cities, some are asking that you do something about it."
"I know. The people are afraid, and I’m already too old for this."
The woman smiled kindly.
"You have served as the greatest detective of the kingdom from the shadows for years. I’m sure you’ll be able to find something useful and—"
She suddenly stopped. She looked down at the floor as if listening to something, then turned toward the old man.
"What happened, Mirage? Did your relatives find something?"
She nodded.
"They informed me that someone has just freed the Kingdom of Axorhibis from the Eternal Torment. It was done by a group of adventurers currently staying in Luxar."
"What...? Is the Herald with them?" the king asked, visibly concerned.
Mirage shook her head.
"It doesn’t seem so. The group consisted of adventurers well-known across the continent, but there was a mysterious young man traveling with them. From what we know, he was rather weak, and he still is."
"I see... Even so, just in case, investigate that boy as thoroughly as possible. We can’t dismiss him before knowing anything. If he turns out to be the Herald, I want you to bring him before me."
"As you wish, Your Majesty."