The Path of an S-Rank Adventurer: The Boy Who Was Expelled from His Party Awakens to His True Power [Weapon Master] and Eventually Becomes the World’s Strongest

The Current State of Team Thousand

Team Thousand

A rookie team that joined during the earliest days of Clan Sacred’s formation. About half a year after the clan was established, they rose from team rank E to C, graduating from rookie status.

Today, Thousand once again completed a request brought to the clan instead of the adventurer’s guild, reporting to the clan’s request report room.

Roland, the leader, placed a bag full of Nelge fruits on the reception desk.

“Here are the Nelge fruits for the request. Please verify them!”

Nelge fruits.

When crushed, they become a pesticide.

They are a cheap pesticide commonly used in restaurants and sold everywhere.

They cost three copper coins for a small bottle. Nothing significant.

The receptionist at Clan Sacred carefully inspected the Nelge fruits.

“…Yes!! These are definitely Nelge fruits. The request is complete.”

“Great!!”

“Here is your reward.”

The reward was four silver coins.

Roland’s team has four members. Each member receives one silver coin.

The team immediately headed to Thousand’s dedicated room within the clan to divide the reward.

“Here you go, Kua, Mad, Tena. Your rewards!”

“””…………”””

The three silently accepted their rewards, and Kua, the sub-leader, spoke up.

“Hey, Roland… don’t you think it’s about time we stopped taking gathering requests?”

“Huh?”

“We’ve all reached adventurer rank D, and our team rank is C now… Shouldn’t we start taking more lucrative requests?”

“R-really…? What do you think, Mad?”

“…I agree.”

“Eh… Tena?”

“Hmm, I’m also getting a bit tired of just gathering requests.”

It seems everyone except Roland is tired of gathering requests.

Roland groaned, “Hmm…”

“True, even when Sasha and the others were exploring the Forbidden Six Labyrinths, we were only taking gathering requests. Our rank has gone up, but our combat experience is still lacking… Sure, we fought goblins and kobolds while gathering herbs, but…”

“Goblins and kobolds… those are just weaklings that E-rank rookies fight. Sure, they’re monsters, and it’s dangerous to underestimate them, but what I’m saying is, maybe we should start taking monster subjugation requests.”

Kua pointed her staff at Roland.

Mad nodded in agreement.

“I… want to test my skills as a shield bearer.”

Mad is a boy who became a shield bearer after admiring Reynold.

Unlike Reynold, who uses a large shield and a round shield, Mad wields two round shields.

He’s been trained by Reynold and believes his skills are above average.

“I also want to show off my archery skills, taught by Robin himself.”

Tena drew her bow and pretended to shoot Roland.

Kua also nodded firmly, gripping her staff.

“I’ve been training my lightning magic. Sure, S-rank is out of reach, but at our level, we can handle B-rank monsters. Roland, make up your mind.”

“…Alright. Let’s take a subjugation request next!!”

And so, Team Thousand decided to take on their first subjugation request.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

The next day.

They immediately checked the clan’s subjugation request board, but… unfortunately, there were no subjugation requests available.

Only gathering requests remained.

For adventurers, subjugation requests are lucrative, a way to test their strength, and a clear demonstration of their power.

It’s no surprise that subjugation requests are popular within the clan.

Having just resolved to take on subjugation requests the day before, Roland and the others felt a bit deflated.

“Looks like there are no requests on the clan board… Should we check the adventurer’s guild?”

Roland suggested, and the three nodded.

Even though they belong to a clan, they can still take requests from the adventurer’s guild.

The four headed to the adventurer’s guild.

However, it seemed the early morning rush for requests was already over, and the board was empty.

“Ugh… we’re too late.”

Tena slumped in disappointment.

They approached the board and found… subjugation requests.

“Wait, SS-rank… Blazing Kobold King subjugation? What’s this? A mutated kobold in the eastern forest needs to be taken down… Isn’t this the kind of request the kingdom’s knights handle?”

“…S-rank. Subjugation of the monstrous fish Arleja in northern Tremen Lake… No way.”

“This one’s S+ rank. A mysterious owl monster, Nero Owl, lurking in the western Dark Forest… Yeah, no way.”

Kua, Mad, and Tena made sour faces as they read the requests on the board.

Roland also sighed at the S-rank requests.

“Our rank only allows us to take up to B-rank requests… Sigh, look, there are plenty of B-rank gathering requests. It’s like they knew we were coming.”

Gathering requests were as plentiful as ever.

The four exchanged glances and were about to give up when someone arrived at the guild.

“Ah, Haise. Good morning.”

“Mm.”

“Huh? You’re alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, right. Presea is off on a gathering request. Here, we’ve got plenty of requests you’d like.”

“What do you mean, ‘requests I’d like’?”

“Well… it’s because people like you frequent this guild that we get S-rank and above requests from other guilds.”

“That’s not my fault… geez.”

Haise cut off the conversation with Mina and stood next to Roland and the others.

Roland and his team were frozen with tension.

“…………”

Haise silently peeled off the Blazing Kobold King subjugation request.

Then, he glanced at the tense group.

“Not taking any requests?”

“Eh!? Ah, no, we want to take subjugation requests, but our rank isn’t high enough, yes!!”

“Hmm.”

With that, Haise headed to the reception counter.

After accepting the request, Haise left the guild.

“”””Whew…””””

The four let out a sigh.

They had just spoken to Haise, one of the strongest adventurers, an S-rank adventurer on par with Sasha, who single-handedly conquered the Forbidden Six Labyrinths.

Kua spoke up.

“I can’t believe Haise, one of the strongest adventurers, talked to us… That was terrifying.”

“I-I was so nervous. My voice cracked, right? Right?”

“…………So cool.”

“Strongest, huh… Wait, isn’t there another adventurer called the strongest?”

Tena asked.

Kua sighed.

“You mean that adventurer causing trouble in the western country? I think it was around the time Sasha and the others were challenging the Forbidden Six Labyrinths… There was talk of an adventurer who soloed seven A-rank dungeons.”

“Now that you mention it, I remember that. But after Sasha and the others conquered the Forbidden Six Labyrinths, the rumors died down. What was it…? From the western, uh…”

“The westernmost country, Uron. An S-rank adventurer who, like Haise, works solo. Their name was, uh…”

Kua tried to recall but couldn’t remember.

Mad spoke up.

“S-rank adventurer, Heracles Hijiri… the youngest S-rank adventurer.”

“Ah, that was his name.”

S-rank adventurer Heracles Hijiri.

At the time, no one could have predicted that their name would be involved in a major incident involving Haise and Sasha.