「So I just have to fight a few times?」
「That’s right. First, I want you to take it easy on them and see what they can do. After that, beat them to a pulp with overwhelming power and break their fighting spirit」
「Hihihi, that’s gonna be good medicine for the weak hearted」
Grandpa Gull said some pretty extreme things while swinging his arm as an example. And Grandma Jill seems to be liking his idea too.
「Is that really fine?」
Fran tilted her lightly when she heard what these two said. But it seems, this Grandpa Grandma duo was pretty motivated.
「You’ve just seen those guys from earlier, right? I mean, they’ve been slacking off a little」
「Isn’t it because of you spoiling then too much, right?」
「Well, I won’t deny it. After all, we don’t get many dangerous requests around here」
「No matter how much you say, words can never fully convey the message, you know」
「Yeah」
He wanted us to beat up the slacking adventurers and get them back into shape. I’m sure there were other ways to do so if he just wanted us to show the difference between our power… But this was the most reliable way to deal with those adventurers.
「However, there are a few things for you to keep in mind. First of all, can you hold back a little」
「As long as I don’t kill them, right?」
「No, no, no. It would be a problem if they suffer an injury that has no hope of recovering! You’re kidding, right?」
「Nn?」
「Oi, Old hag…」
Sweat was trickling down from Grandpa Gull’s temples. He finally understood that Fran was more dangerous than she looked.
「I’ve already asked her to do this though」
「Yo-you’re right. But please, those adventurers still have a future. I’d like you to refrain from giving them any injuries that might affect their life as much as possible」
「Okay, I’ll be as careful as I can」
「You promise!? Please be as careful as you can!」
「Nn. Please leave it to me」
「…Seriously, can I really leave it to you!?」
You don’t have to worry. I’ll stop Fran if she makes a mistake. Well, as much as I can though.
「And also, please refrain from using any flashy magic」
「Why? Isn’t the place was protected by a barrier?」
「Well, it’s simply because we’re onboard a ship. If you use Fire or Thunder magic in here, the damage to the ship will be tremendous」
「I see」
It was a simple reason. This was probably because he knew the meaning of Fran’s alias, so he advised her to hold back.
「I’ve covered the place with barriers and stuff, but it might not be able to hold up if you unleash your magic with all your might」
「We’ll get you to pay for the repairs if you overdo it, so be careful」
『Fran, you shouldn’t do any damage to this ship!』
(Okay)
This ship was a magic ship no matter how I thought about it. I wonder how great the bill would be if she caused any damage to the engine section… It seems I’ll have to make sure she doesn’t overdo it!
「And also, you have a follower, right? Can you call him now?」
「Urushi」
「Woof!」
「Ooh, I didn’t see that coming! A Dark magic user huh!? And look at that…」
「A Darkness Wolf? No, he looks different, huh? But I can tell that he’s strong」
If their opponent was a humanoid, they would be able to sense a certain level of strength based on their years of experience. The lack of stagnation in magic power flowing through his body, his behavior, and his gaze were all factors that could be used to judge him. This was why some people could tell that Fran was strong even when she was suppressing her magic power. Well, to put it simply, it was an adventurer’s intuition.
However, I guess these two don’t know much about any wolf-shaped magic beasts. They’re not sure how to measure Urushi’s power, who had evolved and became better at concealing his magic power.
「Urushi is very strong」
「Hou? Is he strong enough for Fran to say so? That’s good then, why don’t we get Urushi to fight too?」
「Woof woof!」
「Urushi said he’ll do it」
「Thanks a lot. After all, there aren’t many strong beast-shaped magic beasts around here. So, I’d like to show them how scary a magic beast can be. The lack of adventurer’s awareness can be fatal in times of crisis after all」
「Awareness?」
「Yeah, The adventurers around here are only good at dealing with problems around Lake Vivian. To make matters worse, they’re too familiar with this place」
It seems that they only hone the necessary skills to do jobs in this area, so they couldn’t do much when they go to dungeons in other areas. I’ve heard that a man who was a C ranker in the guild here once died easily in an E-ranked dungeon.
That was also why the adventurers around here don’t want to go out. This was not a bad thing for the region, so it had not been seen as a problem.
However, if such a thing continues for a long time, adventurers who work around Lake Vivian in the Kingdom of Belios would be looked down upon. They’re useful on the lake, but elsewhere they’re considered a rank below. That was what the rumors say about them.
「It’s so frustrating… I’ve tried to do something about it, but things are not going well」
「That’s why we would be grateful if Urushi is willing to help」
Grandma Jill was stroking Urushi while saying so.
「Isn’t he a beautiful beast… His rank must be pretty impressive, right?」
「I wonder?」
「…Well, it’ll be fine as long as you don’t destroy the ship」
「Woof!」
「No problem」
「Well then, you’d better get to the exam site」
The promotion exam site was reasonably large. It was about the size of a gymnasium. The ceiling was low though, but it was enough for us to move around.
「Ah right, more guys met the rank-up requirements last night. Is that a problem for you?」
「No problem」
「All right. Well then, let me introduce you guys to your examiner today. She’s Fran, an adventurer」
「Nn. Nice to meet you」
「You guys! No matter how high up in the ranks your opponent is, don’t show a pathetic appearance against a kid!」
Grandma Jill’s personality, as always, was quite bad. She didn’t explain Fran’s identity in detail. And Grandpa Gull seems to be in on her plan too. In fact, he was fueling the adventurers.
「Yes!」
「You can count on us! We’ll definitely rank up!」
「It’s going to be easy this time, isn’t it?」
「Hehehe, they’re so adorable」
Well, I’m sorry guys.
