Published: August 2, 2025
Today, five chapters were posted simultaneously.
This story is the second chapter.
~Side Ryoma~
After the match ended, the gazes of the students and instructors who had been watching the match split into two groups.
"Ryoma! That match was amazing!"
"What kind of training do you do?"
"Not bad at all! We can’t afford to lose to you guys!"
"How long does it take to start using a bow effectively in real combat?"
One group, including Gazelle and Beck, were the friendly people who acknowledged my skills. Even after the commentary ended, they would approach me, strike up conversations, and ask questions.
The other group kept their distance and watched me warily. It felt like they were avoiding me. When Mr. Roche called for the participants to disperse after thanking them, those people hurriedly left, almost as if escaping... The cause was obviously the content of the match.
"Did I do something wrong? I felt like they were afraid of me..."
After answering the students’ questions, I decided to talk to Mr. Roche about it.
"...I think it’s partly because they were scared."
Could it be that I really was that scary?
I seemed rather weak at first and was even underestimated by Beck and the others.
"Your strength has already become clear. But maybe it’s also that you were just too serious, and your demeanor suddenly changed. I felt like you lacked a bit of humanity... It gave me the feeling of an animal targeted by its natural enemy."
...Since I took this form, the things that scared people have thankfully decreased.
I had never thought about the impression I gave during battle, so I was a bit troubled.
"Don’t worry too much. It was sudden, so they’re probably just a little confused. Over time, I think some will calm down."
Mr. Roche comforted me with those words.
"...By the way, I asked you before why you became an adventurer, right? Now, do you have any goals as an adventurer?"
I thought he was trying to change the subject, but since he spoke seriously, I straightened myself.
When I said my current goal was to go to the Shurus Great Tree Sea,
"Of all places..."
After hearing everything, Mr. Roche nodded to himself in understanding but simultaneously held his head. Was there some problem with my goal?
When I asked, he prefaced it as his own guess and said the guild master hoped I would form a party. He suspected this request was introduced with that wish in mind.
"A party...? Can you even tell me this?"
"The guild master’s intentions are just my guess. He didn’t forbid me from telling you; I’m just sharing what I felt.
The higher the rank an adventurer reaches, the more dangerous the work becomes. The Shurus Great Tree Sea you aim for is no exception. To operate there, you need at least a C-rank... Really, a C-rank adventurer venturing in alone there is usually suicide. Got it?"
He drew two concentric circles on the ground with a fallen branch.
"You might know this if you’re local or think differently, but listen to this as the general perception outside.
The further you go from the outer edges toward the inside of the Great Tree Sea, the stronger the magical beasts become. If we consider this circle the Great Tree Sea, C-rank solo adventurers can only operate around this outer circle. Usually just the shallow parts of the sea. Once you step inside, B-rank and A-rank magical beasts appear regularly, and the center of the sea is an area that can’t be developed at all.
I don’t know exactly where your hometown is, but from what you said, it doesn’t sound shallow. It’s pretty deep inside. You’ll definitely face many battles in a row. Also, the real Great Tree Sea is vast, as the name suggests. Even without magical beasts, it can’t be crossed in a day or two. You’d have to use relay points, and even with spatial magic, going alone would be tough."
He seriously warned me about the dangers of going alone.
"Honestly, neither I nor the guild master have the right to stop you. We say it every morning: adventurers take great personal responsibility. Once you reach the required rank, it’s your choice whether to go, not to go, or who to go with."