NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
S-Class Adventurer
“Wh-what did you just say?”
“Didn’t you hear me? Haise, you’re going to have to leave the team.”
“S-Sasha… p-please, don’t joke around like that… you’re saying I’m… fired from the team?”
“…Does it sound like a joke to you? Sorry, but it’s true. Haise, you’re no longer suitable for this team.”
“Th-that’s…!”
“‘Sacred’ is about to be promoted to an A-Class team. Once that happens, we’ll be able to challenge higher-level dungeons… Haise, with where you’re at now, you’re just a hindrance.”
“…………Sasha, don’t you remember? We promised to build the strongest team together…”
“I haven’t forgotten. But you can’t be a part of it anymore. I will aim for the strongest with my team. There’s no place for you there.”
“…………”
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“───…………”
In the Heiberg Kingdom, in the royal capital of Ryuzan.
In a room at the back of an old, shabby inn, not far from the slums.
This was the home of Haise, known as Dark Stalker, who had risen to the rank of S-Class adventurer.
He got out of his humble bed and put on a coat made from the skin of an Ancient Black Dragon, an SS-rated monster he had once slain.
Downstairs, a simple breakfast had been set out on a worn table.
The innkeeper, an elderly man, glared at Haise, but Haise ignored him and began eating his breakfast.
It was a simple meal—bread, soup, salad, and bacon and eggs—but today it came with a slice of orange, and for a brief moment, Haise glanced at the innkeeper.
“…………Hmph.”
He only snorted slightly, but it was enough for Haise to understand.
The man was—celebrating Haise’s promotion to S-Class.
Haise had been staying at this inn for a long time.
It was a dilapidated inn, one where no one stayed. Haise chose it because it kept human contact to a minimum, and the innkeeper never even greeted him.
But this distance was what made Haise feel comfortable.
Haise ate the orange and placed a few gold coins on the counter in front of the innkeeper.
“One more month, with breakfast.”
“…Sure thing.”
The same exchange had happened a month ago.
They’d been doing this for nearly two years now, but today, something was different.
“…You’ve become an S-Class, haven’t you? Why stay somewhere like this? You should be at a better place.”
It was the first time Haise had ever heard such a long sentence.
He could have ignored it, but he responded.
“This place suits me just fine. The shabby bed, the creaky hallway, the cloudy windows, and the whole building is so old it could collapse at any time… No one would ever expect an S-Class adventurer to stay here.”
“…………Is that so?”
The innkeeper said no more and opened a newspaper.
The headline read: “Silver Valkyrie Finally Promoted to S-Class Adventurer. Requests for Joining her Clan Skyrocketing”
The paper showed a picture of a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl.
“…………”
Haise turned away from the newspaper and left the inn.
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Haise’s destination was the Adventurers’ Guild.
In the early morning, adventurers gathered around the quest board, causing a huge commotion. Haise, who hated noise, preferred to wait until the other adventurers had taken their jobs, leaving the remaining ones for him.
As expected, the jobs left on the board were either low-ranked or extremely difficult ones.
“…………A Mithril Ogre hunt…”
Difficulty: S-Class.
Slaying Rate: S+
This was a task so difficult that even an A-Class adventurer team would need at least ten teams to succeed. But Haise peeled the request off the board and went to the reception.
“This one.”
“Yes… wait, are you doing this alone? This is for a team…”
“Yes, I’m going solo.”
“Ah, I see!! S-Class adventurer Haise-sama, confirmed. Please be careful!!”
The veteran receptionist shoved the rookie aside and accepted Haise’s request.
Haise left the Adventurers’ Guild.
“Idiot!! That was S-Class adventurer Haise!! He soloed the SS-rated Ancient Black Dragon, he’s as strong as Sasha!!”
“Eh!? B-but he’s just a kid…”
“He’s a kid, but he’s strong!! Do you get it? The abilities adventurers have?!”
“Ah…”
Abilities
In this world, when a person turns twelve, they might suddenly awaken their ability.
Four out of ten people awaken this power. Almost every adventurer has an ability. Haise, of course, did as well.
“Remember this… Haise hates teams and teammates. Every adventurer who tried to team up with him ended up in a sea of blood.”
“Eh!?”
“He’s an S-Class adventurer, but he’s never thought about forming a clan or team.”
“Well, sometimes he takes on high-difficulty jobs, and that’s helpful, I guess.”
“Yeah… it’s scary, though.”
“That guy had some serious injuries. I wonder if he can even see out of his right eye?”
“…Don’t ever say that to him.”
At that moment, the door to the Adventurers’ Guild opened.
The conversation between the rookie and the veteran receptionist immediately stopped.
In came Sasha and the other members of the “Sacred” team.
“Seriously… getting drunk like that, you’re such an idiot.”
“Ahh, okay, okay! But you were drinking too!”
“Haha. It’s because Piasora refused to use healing magic, so we were late. I had to make a deal to get him to heal me, though.”
Tycoon, Reynold, Robin.
And behind them, Sasha with Piasora clinging to her arm.
“Hee hee hee. I’m looking forward to it~♪”
“…Ah, yeah.”
“Reynold’s an idiot. He got drunk before going to Sasha’s first S-Class request… You’re fired!!”
“Wait, I drank too, so it’s not just Reynold’s fault.”
“Ugh…”
Sasha approached the reception.
The rookie receptionist was visibly nervous.
“Excuse me. May I see the requests?”
“Y-yes!! Um, but… there aren’t many high-difficulty requests.”
“Huh? Didn’t you have an S-Class request yesterday?”
When Robin asked, the rookie receptionist smiled and replied.
“Oh, that one. It was taken by Haise-san, the S-Class. It’s amazing, right? He’s going solo to hunt an S+ rated monster!! …Huh?”
The veteran receptionist turned pale. But… it was already too late.
Sasha narrowed her eyes and muttered, “I see.”
“Are there any other monster-hunting requests?”
“Uh… Goblin extermination, maybe an Orc hunt? There aren’t any dungeon quests.”
“Then… I’ll take both the Goblins and the Orcs.”
“But those are E-Class requests.”
“Doesn’t matter. If there’s a request, it means someone’s in need. I’ll take them.”
Sasha accepted the requests and left.
Then, the veteran receptionist tackled the rookie.
“Idiot!!”
“Are you stupid?! You do not talk about Haise or Sasha’s history to them! They fought like crazy back in the guild, and they’re still enemies! Got it?!”
“Eh, r-really?”
“Yes, you do not talk about them to each other, understand?”
“Y-yes!!”
The rookie receptionist nodded as if her head was going to fall off.