Adventurer.

　An occupation similar to that of a mercenary, who takes on dangerous tasks such as exterminating demons, exterminating bandits, and capturing labyrinths, mediated by the Adventurer's Guild.
　According to the books I read in the kingdom, there are proposals to establish adventurer's guilds in other countries as well, but for now, it's a special occupation found only in the United Kingdom.

　Because of the nature of the work, it's a dangerous profession, so to become an adventurer you have to go through a strict screening process.
　Just being an adventurer is enough to gain status, so many people from other countries come to be examined.

　To enter the Purgatory Labyrinth, one must register with the Adventurer's Guild and also join a regularly organized labyrinth-busting party.

　After leaving the shop, it's a ten-minute walk.
　The building was conspicuously large in comparison to its surroundings.

This is the adventurer's guild? It's big.

　As the building where adventurers gather, it was reasonably spacious inside.
　A bar where adventurers exchange information, a bulletin board where requests are posted, and a front desk for various procedures.
　There seems to be a variety of other facilities as well.

　A large number of adventurers had gathered inside, creating a coarse atmosphere.

However, it's quite troublesome that you have to become an adventurer to enter the labyrinth.
'I suppose it's to prevent people without powers from entering the maze. There have always been a lot of people who try the labyrinth as a test of their skills.

　As we stepped inside, the adventurers in the tavern were eyeing us warily.
　I'm sure most of the adventurers here are strong-looking adults, which makes us unusual.

　Most of them are large men.
　If two child men and women walked in there alone, it would draw attention.

　A man in full body armor muttering something to his companions, as if he were whispering behind their backs.
　A large man in a full-face helmet who just silently turns his gaze towards us.
　Gazing at you as if to assess you, a sub-race.

　Some adventurers look at Elfie's body and give him a blatant grin.

''Shall I glare at you with my magic eye?
Don't do it. It'll go under or it'll blow up.

　There were quite a few people lined up at the front desk, going through various procedures.
　The far right seems to be the reception area for adventurer registration, we lined up there.

　We hardly stopped by the guild the first time, but the guild is rather as I imagined it would be.
　Crude adventurers are exchanging information in the tavern and pricing new faces.
　I tried to be a little more aware of the voices I could hear zany.

'So, it's called ----, right?'
'--I hear there's a group of mercenaries who are going to join us in our defeat.
Was it the day before yesterday?　I think it was the day before yesterday that the information on the raid on the maze was delivered to us.

　Information I can hear.

"I really don't like this. Werewolves.
No, you don't. You don't know where the ears are.

　There was a word in there that stuck with me.
　Werewolf.
　That's one of the reasons I came to town.
　The traitor species is also a werewolf species.

　I was looking for more information, and I focused on the adventurer who was having the conversation.

'----'

　-- someone is looking at you.

　An inward searching gaze.
　The kingdom's hunters.
　I'm about to take a quick look back at him.

"Whoa.

　Suddenly, something bumped into me.
　I turned around and saw a man in full armor (full plate) standing behind me.

"...... what is it?
'Something, not something. If you're going to be an adventurer for fun, then get the hell out of here. It's not as easy to be an adventurer as some of you simpletons.

He looks annoyed and his full body armor is awesome.
　I guess they don't like the fact that we're here because we look like just kids.

'The guild's test will decide if you can become a guild member, right?　I have no right to ask you for advice.
Oh, yeah. Well, I'm looking forward to the test then, okay?

　With a small smile, the man in full armor walked to the back of the guild.

''As I thought, with the magic eye.
No, you don't.

　In the meantime, it was our turn.

'Next in line, please.'

　The receptionist explained about the job of an adventurer and the content of the test.

　An adventurer is an occupation similar to a mercenary who accepts requests from the guild.
　Their work ranges from searching for medicinal herbs, exterminating bandits, to defeating labyrinths.
　Depending on the nature of the request, their lives may be in danger, so keep in mind the risk of death.

　Here's what it looks like.

　Because of the many dangers of the job, there is only one test to take when registering.
　The only test is a combat test, which tests the person's ability to fight.
　Apparently, the participant fights against an adventurer who plays the role of an opponent, and the judges make a decision based on the process and results.

　After the briefing was over, we were instructed to go to the hall at the back of the guild.


　After regaining our composure, we headed towards the hall.

◆

　You must use only weapons lent by the guild or your own magic to fight in combat.
　You can't use magic grants or magic stones.

　First of all, you have to choose the weapon you will use.
　I chose to use an ordinary one-handed sword.
　By the way, Elfi didn't choose a weapon.

　The match is divided into two venues, and four players play at the same time.
　Me and Elfi were split up separately.

''Ladies and gentlemen, please get ready.

　I waited for a while, and then it was my turn.
　My opponent is an adventurer who belongs to the Adventurer's Guild.
　The adventurers themselves and the judges who were watching the battle would give their evaluations and make a pass or fail.

''Yo.''

　The one who came out in front of me was a man in full body armor.
　Apparently, he's helping me register as an adventurer.

You're going to be an adventurer with your shortened body, you must be very confident, right?　Then I'll give it a try.
Yeah, sure.

　He flushed lightly and took the position indicated by the judges.
　The man in full body armor seemed to be a sorcerer.
　It must be his style to abandon his agility and put on his armor to prevent attacks and shoot his magic.

''Then both of you should be ready.

　We're not that far away from each other.
　If you run, you can close it down quickly enough.
　However, the other party is a magician.
　At this distance, you'll have to give up the first move to your opponent.

"Are you scared, man?
It's time to run away!

　The adventurers who are observing the event will give you a shout-out, but you will ignore them and look at the front.
　If your opponent is a sorcerer, I have just the right technique for you.
　I'm going to try out the magic that has been adjusted to use a small amount of magical power here.

Then let's begin!

　The judge raised his hand and gave a command.

"Spell usurpation!"

　At the same time as the command, at the same time as the opponent's magic was activated.
　This one also exercised magic in the same way.

　A technique that deprives any target of magical power and forcibly annihilates magic.
　It was greatly degraded, and right now it was only effective in dissipating the opponent's magic power for a moment.

''Wha, what? The magic is ......!

　The magic dissipates, and the man lets out a cry of surprise.
　He looks back and forth between me and his staff.

　In that instant, the pause was over.

''Gu, oops.''

　At the same time as he hooks his leg and uses the weight of the man and his full body armor to drag him down to the ground.
　He inserts his one-handed sword into the chink in the armor at the neck and drives the blade into the neck.
　In a real battle, this would kill the man.

'Eh ......'

　Since the start, only about five seconds had passed.
　The adventurers, who had been making a lot of noise until then, were looking at us with surprised expressions.

''That's it!''

　The judges shouted after a delay.
　This seems to be the end of the judging.

What's the first magic. Have you ever heard of that stuff?
No. ...... I mean, the way he closed that pause, he's a beast or something.

　From the surprise of the adventurers, it seems not a bad result.
　I've never been an adventurer, so I don't know what the standard is, but I think I can pass the test.

　Just then, a bong and an explosion sounded from behind me.
　When I turned around, Elfi's opponent was lying on the ground unconscious on the ground.
　With a look of naturalness, I saw Elfie cross his arms.
　Apparently, that one was done too.

'...... tch.'

　A man in full body armor with his buttocks on the ground clicked his tongue in a small way.

'Don't get carried away, kid,'
............

　Eyes visible through the armor.　
　The pressure he felt from them made his grip on the hilt of his sword stronger.
The man in full body armor left faster than I could grope for what that spirit was.

...... What the hell, that guy.

I narrowed my eyes at his back as he left, and I too gave up my place to the next person.


◆

The results of the judging will be announced the day after tomorrow. So please come to the Adventurer's Guild the day after tomorrow.

　So it was explained to me, and the examination was over.　

　Probably, I was told by one of the adventurers who saw that the test was passed.
　It seems that if I finish off my opponent's adventurers, I can assume that I'll pass without complaint.

　I can feel the adventurer's eyes on me from afar, but I don't deal with them and walk out of the guild.

''With that, our business for today is done, right?　Iori, I'm hungry.
All right, all right. Let's just get a bite to eat and go home.

　While we were walking around talking about it.

'Hey, human, don't get too carried away after beating that level of adventurer.

　Zuikku, the way forward was blocked.
　When I looked, I saw a rattling man with wolf ears sprouting from his head - a werewolf species (werewolf) standing there.

''I don't think so, but...''
What?　What are you trying to do, huh? It's people like you, with your stupid temper tantrums, that I don't like more than anything else.

　Oh, man.
　I've been getting in a lot of trouble today.

"Hey, this girl is a very serious magician. Now, why don't you come over to our place and see if you can get your hands on her?　A girl as pretty as your daughter can't do anything wrong, can she?　Huh?
...... Yeah?
Let's go, Elfie.

　Pulling Elfie, who tilted his head while making a low voice, he started walking away.
　These kinds of moves are a waste of time to deal with.

''Me ......!''

　The werewolf species reached out to grab our chest.

　Really, it's a pain in the ass.
　I was just getting ready to deal with it.

"Come on, man. You're in trouble. I'm sure you're in trouble.

　A hand reached out from the side and grabbed the arm of the werewolf species.
　It was a woman of the cat race (warcat) with an eye patch over her right eye.
　She was equipped with light-looking armor that matched her body type, and from the atmosphere, it was clear that she was accustomed to the scene.

''Oh, hey Misha. Don't do it.

　The guys who look like female companions are telling her to stop, but she ignores them and glares at the werewolf species.

'...... you again?'
That's my line.
...... tch.

　Perhaps pushed by the woman's spirit, the werewolf species clicked its tongue and left the scene.
　Huh, the woman exhaled in a dumbfounded manner and stared at its back.

'Thank you ...... for that.'
Don't worry about it. I hate that kind of selfishness.

　When I lowered my head, the woman sniffed and said so.
　'You've said things like 'you again,' and I'm sure they've bumped into each other many times.

'Oh, ...... Misha did it to the werewolf species again.
Shut up. I'm not gonna sit here and watch that shit.

　I said this back to my companion, who was somehow pale, and the woman known as Misha warned me.

'You two just arrived in town, right?　As you can see from what you just saw, it's best to stay away from the werewolf species (werewolves). They do what they want in this town.
Do whatever you want ......?

　Does that mean he's tangling with all sorts of people, as he is now?

'If they're rioting, why don't we just turn them in to the guards?'

　Elfi put my doubts to rest.
　If you're causing that much trouble, don't you want to have the proper authorities deal with it?

'No, that's the thing: ......
It's not a good idea to talk about this in the middle of the street. Misha, it's time to get going.

　Misha was about to answer the question when her companion poked her.
　Misha narrowed her eyes, "Well,

Anyway, stay out of the werewolf species as much as possible. Bye!

　With that, he left with his companions.

"That werewolf breed should be thankful for the cat race (warcats) they have now.

　Seeing his back, Elfie muttered to himself, "We're not?

"Not us?
'We would have tried to snap the arm that the werewolf species stretched out.
...... Oh.

　Sure, if he was going to get more involved than that, I would have at least done that.
　I'm not interested in messing with unrelated people, but if they get in the way of my revenge, I won't tolerate it.
　Whether you are an adventurer or a grim reaper, I'll kill you if you get in my way.

Well, that's good. The registration is done, let's go have a volcano roast as soon as possible, Iori!
Huh. ......

　Well, I'm hungry, and it's time to get some food.
　That's when I let out a sigh and went to follow Elfie.

'----'

　I felt the gaze again.
　The first one that was directed at me, the one that looked into my inner life, was different.
　A sharp gaze, clearly containing hostility.

　I looked in the direction of the gaze, but there was a group of adventurers and I couldn't distinguish them.
　Is it the pursuers from the kingdom, the demon king's army, or a completely unknown enemy?

''It's ...... troublesome.''

　Raising my guard, I followed Elfie.