Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Rookie Adventurer Bern (3) – The Adventurer with Sky-Blue Hair

The incident Bern caused right in the middle of downtown swiftly became the hottest topic at the Adventurer’s Guild.

Goodness, who would have thought this rookie, known only for being competent and diligent, would end up beating up senior adventurers on a rainy day!

“Urgh, I should’ve witnessed it with my own eyes!”

“Hahaha! Yeah, an adventurer should have that much guts!”

“That’s the kind of thing I’d expect from those guys—they deserve it sooner or later!”

Bern tilted his head upon hearing the reactions around him.

At his confusion, Blanka, the guild receptionist, explained to him.

“Why do you look so surprised?”

“Nothing, I was just wondering if this is the normal reaction. Even so, it’s the newer adventurer who has been here for not so long getting beaten up by fellow guild members, right?”

“It seems like there’s some kind of misunderstanding here. Adventurers in the guild don’t particularly feel any sense of camaraderie or loyalty to one another.”

Blanka gave an analogy with a somewhat cynical tone.

“For example, consider you’re a regular customer at a famous store. If another customer from that store, who’s not exactly friendly, gets beaten up somewhere outside, would you be angry about it?”

“Is that the same kind of situation here?”

“Not much different. Just like customers competing when limited edition items come out in a store, adventurers must compete against each other to get good missions. The store owner will naturally intervene if customers start fighting inside, but won’t care what they do outside. The guild works the same way.”

“So, I suppose there won’t be any penalties for this matter, right?”

“If you’d backstabbed them during a shared mission, then it might be a different story, but right now, that’s not the case.”

“Hmm, indeed.”

Hidden in his shadow, Lucidra asked.

“Feels like you’re disappointed, isn’t that a good thing?”

“Not really, I was kind of hoping for a plot twist where ‘the humble rookie dares to challenge the venerable elders!'”

[…….]

Lucidra stared at him with a cold gaze. Unaware or not, Bern bowed his head to Blanka.

“Thank you for answering so many of my questions.”

“You’re welcome. It’s no big deal. Actually, I had something to say to you.”

“Something to say?”

With a thud, Blanka placed a small wooden badge slightly smaller than a palm on the reception desk.

“This is the 2-star Adventurer Badge. It means you are now recognized as a full-fledged adventurer within the guild.”

“Oho.”

Bern picked it up with a slightly excited expression. Unlike his previously radical reactions when he became a 1-star adventurer, this time his reaction was quite similar to those of other rookies, which made some staff regard him with fondness.

The other adventurers in the guild also looked at him with bright eyes.

While a 1-star adventurer is basically a day-laborer, from 2-star onward, they are considered professional adventurers.

This is also the time when battles truly begin to be a part of missions, and survival rates can vary significantly depending on whether one has competent teammates or not.

In that sense, Bern was a very attractive talent.

He seemed young and diligent, making him easy to work with, and his temperament was neither too clingy nor difficult. Plus, since he could take down five men with similar builds alone, his skills were undoubtedly reliable.

Just as they were carefully sizing each other up and preparing to approach Bern, Blanka, who had just attended to him at the reception desk, suddenly spoke.

“Bern, would you consider partnering up with me for a party?”

Not only were the adventurers stunned, but the guild staff were also taken aback by her words.

“Wait a second, Blanka. What’s this about? You’re a receptionist, not an adventurer!”

“I was already just a temporary employee, and my term is almost over anyway. It’s not a problem to make plans a bit early.”

“Are you not renewing your contract? But, Mr. Administrator….”

“I’m not.”

Her response was firm.

The guild staff exchanged startled glances, and the adventurers, who had their moves preempted, started whispering among themselves.

“Guys, what’s wrong with you? This way she’ll snatch him first. We need to stop her!”

“No, she’s a 3-star, and a magician at that. Confronting her directly may not be wise.”

“It’s been said her recent performance hasn’t been that great.”

“Still, she’s a 3-star.”

“Even so, doesn’t it seem a bit inappropriate to go after a rookie like this?”

Although they tried to lower their voices, completely hiding them was difficult.

Nearly every conversation reached Bern’s heightened ears, and Blanka, who was pretending to be calm, had her cheeks slightly flushed under close observation.

Bern spoke.

“I can’t give an immediate answer. There are too many eyes watching us here. Is there somewhere we can have a more private conversation?”

“…6 PM. In front of the Echo Inn. If you’re feeling impatient, we can go now too.”

The implication that she would abandon her receptionist duties and go immediately made Bern shake his head.

It wasn’t that urgent, after all.

“Understood. I’ll see you then.”

“Alright. Then.”

As Bern turned to leave, Lucidra’s voice whispered mockingly in his ear.

“Popular, aren’t you? That woman. You were already attracting strange looks. Compared to the source material, she’s tamer, but it seems your face works here, nonetheless.”

“Ms. Lucidra.”

“What?”

“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s a form of illness.”

[This bastard…]

***

“Hey, Bern. How about joining our party? We’ll teach you survival skills and everything. You just need to show up.”

“No, better join our side! Although typically rookies receive a slightly lower share of rewards, we’ll divide it equally with you as an exception.”

During the waiting time until his appointment.

Although many adventurers tried to persuade Bern, he politely declined them, citing a prior engagement.

Of course, this didn’t mean he had already decided to team up with Blanka.

Judging from the strange reactions of the surroundings that he observed at the guild, it was clear that Blanka had a certain situation she was in.

It wasn’t hard to find out about Blanka, and Bern was able to finish his preliminary investigation before the meeting time.

– A three-year seasoned adventurer.

– One of the rare mages among adventurers, skilled in both offensive and healing magic, making her a popular ace.

– She was evaluated as someone who would soon rise to a 4-star adventurer, but during a mission six months ago, she accidentally set fire to a nobleman’s hunting ground.

– To compensate for damages, she lost most of her assets, and the main equipment she possessed was damaged during that battle. The potency of her magic, which she had previously boasted about, was also significantly weakened.

– After being expelled from her usual 3-star party, she often joined missions with 2-star adventurers, but failed to blend in and consistently produced subpar results.

“Useless.”

Lucidra expressed her opinion in one word.

“What, a 3-star, but in reality, only as good as 2-star level. Her reputation around others isn’t that great either. You’ll only exhaust yourself unnecessarily boosting her ego with her rank.”

“Hmm.”

“Why would you even hesitate about this? Isn’t it better to train a completely unknowing rookie who will be easier to manage?”

“Are there rookies to train when I’m the rookie here?”

“You? What rookie? You’re just pretending.”

“I am a rookie as an adventurer. Plus, aren’t you curious?”

“What about?”

“Why she chose to approach me so publicly in front of everyone, despite damaging her reputation.”

To Bern, it seemed Blanka’s current tarnished reputation was entirely due to her proposition to him as a fellow adventurer.

She hadn’t appeared to have a great reputation before, but during her time as a receptionist, there weren’t people who openly displayed inconvenience toward her. It seems it was just something known within her circle.

However, since she made her move for Bern when everyone was paying attention, her visibility skyrocketed quickly, and the rumors spread in a short time.

Could Blanka really not have known this herself?

An adventurer with three years of experience, even if it was only temporary as a receptionist, should have known better.

Bern grew curious about Blanka’s intentions, and when he finally heard her reasons directly from her, his curiosity turned into admiration.

“The reason I did it in front of everyone? So that you might find me at least a little interesting.”

“You mean you sacrificed your reputation just for my interest?”

“Isn’t it necessary to show determination so you know how serious I am?”

Her sky-blue eyes stared firmly into Bern’s.

Not only did she request a secluded spot for conversation, but she also directly led him to her room at the inn. At this point, the word “bold” feels somewhat inadequate.

“Hey, run away. This woman is definitely heavy. She’s going to be trouble if you’re entangled.”

While ignoring the advice whispered from the shadows, Bern asked.

“You have quite an unconventional negotiation style. Cutting off your own escape route like this will disadvantage you in many ways, won’t it?”

In reality, all those who had previously invited Bern to join their group had taken the same stance.

We would like you to join us as a teammate. But your absence wouldn’t necessarily cause significant problems. Just to that extent.

It’s not bad, rather, it’s the textbook method of negotiation.

After all, if you openly reveal ‘I’ll fail without you,’ the other party could take advantage and make unreasonable demands, leaving you unable to refuse.

“You would have been just one of many options in my memory. There might not even have been a chance for us to have this private conversation at all.”

Indeed, Bern understood.

Had Blanka approached Bern in a ‘normal’ way, he wouldn’t have been so deeply intrigued.

“And even if the negotiation disadvantages me, it’s fine. I’ll accept any cost as long as I can achieve my one request.”

“Anything?”

“Exactly.”

Surely she understands the implications of her own words.

In fact, her fists were subtly trembling.

Her face had been flushed earlier due to comments from others, and Blanka isn’t someone who lacks emotion or is completely nonchalant.

It’s just that she has a goal she’s willing to suppress her emotions to achieve.

“Not just about becoming teammates and conducting activities together, right? What exactly are you after?”

“Ritch eradication.”

The quick response made Bern’s eyes widen slightly.

“You mean Ritch, right? According to the continental evaluation standards, even the lowest rank is Grade 5. If it reaches Grade 6, it’s considered a national crisis.”

“That’s correct. Although the Ritch I’m after isn’t an old individual, it will still be a fight for my life even if it’s among the weaker Ritch.”

Even saying ‘a fight for my life’ is an understatement.

After all, the enemy is one of the ultimate among magicians who can handle and dominate dead souls at will.

At worst, dying isn’t enough—after death, one might become a slave to Ritc’h’s will and wander in eternal purgatory.

“Specific information?”

“The guild must have it, but information on high-tier monsters like Ritch isn’t accessible to just any receptionist or lower-level adventurer. At least we must reach Grade 4.”

“Other teammates or sponsors?”

“None currently. I still need to recruit them.”

“Is the public reputation just a disguise, perhaps you’re actually a Grade 4 or higher mage?”

“… Sorry, my actual strength is only around Grade 2 since the wand that amplified my magic broke.”

As questions and answers continued, Blanka’s shoulders hunched slightly, and shadows appeared on her face.

“I know it’s an insane request. But I must kill him no matter what happens.”

“Because?”

“Because my mentor and mother’s soul is being held by him.”

It’s not the kind of content easily revealed to others, especially someone who hasn’t even confirmed a partnership yet.

And the fact that Blanka revealed it so openly indicated the high level of expectation she had for Bern.

After a brief silence, Bern spoke.

“There are certain conditions.”

Blanka’s face lit up with hope but quickly tensed.

“One, as a still-clumsy adventurer, I would need to ask for your guidance and support as an experienced adventurer, would you be willing to share all your knowledge?”

“I’ll do my utmost to assist.”

“Two, sometimes I may use powers or skills that might be difficult for you to understand. Would you be able to keep a secret about that?”

“I’ve always been quite tight-lipped.”

“Three… I can’t think of anything else for now. Let’s leave it at this for now.”

Bern extended his right hand and said,

“Looking forward to working with you, Ms. Blanka.”

Blanka looked at him with a suspicious expression, wondering if that was really all the conditions, but guessed there might be more down the line based on Bern’s “for now” and so agreed, shaking his hand.

“Looking forward to it too, Bern.”